Book Review: Dylan’s Day

Dylan’s Day by Tim Hutchinson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

(review from Goodreads.com)

Before I officially begin my review, I wanted to state that I was able to download a free e-copy of this book via net galley. I have read the book and am providing my honest feedback.

This was a really cute book. I’ll admit it – I am a college senior and I thought the story was adorable! The book had beautiful pictures that I am sure children and adults alike would enjoy and appreciate. I can definitely see young beginning readers getting into the story – especially if they love dogs. (Though the image of the cat was sort of creepy – not going to lie…)

I do not have any complaints about the book – other than I wish I would have read a physical copy. (Eventually I will get used to ebooks … It will just take a while…) I have no suggestions on anything to add, change, etc.

I would recommend this book for little kids (obviously, since it is a children’s book) – really at any age. Children need to be read to more, and this book would be great for a busy parent on the go. The book is fairly short, and could easily be read in a matter of minutes aloud to an eager listener. With that said, I think almost any age group could like this story. (Granted, I am an animal lover, so I might be a bit biased about that!) I hope teachers building a classroom library will consider adding this book to their collection!

Cute book!

My rating: 5/5 stars

Sincerely,
Taylor

Have questions, comments, requests, etc.? Then feel free to message me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com

View all my reviews

Book Review: Apocalyptic Organ Grinder

Apocalyptic Organ Grinder by William Todd Rose

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

 

From Goodreads: 

This is a book that I received a free e-copy from net galley to review. All I can say is “wow.” The book went by really quickly – a lot quicker than what I thought it would. Some gross stuff – but nothing too bad (though if you get queasy with the idea of “pus” then stay away!). What prevented the book from getting 5/5 stars was the fact that I could (and did – though not because I really wanted to..) skip some parts / sections and still figure out what was going on. Ok, maybe that’s not a bad thing, but to me that says that parts were not necessary. Anyway, the book itself was really good and different than a lot of other things that I had read.

 

This is not a zombie book really. I’ve heard/seen a lot of people want to label it as such, but I hope no one picks this up and thinks it will be your every day zombie book.

 

What also might have influenced my rating was the fact that I had a lot of other things going on in my personal life while reading this story. This is not the fault of the book or anything, but it just influenced my highly subjective rating.

 

This is also the very first ebook that I have read. I read it on my laptop and didn’t enjoy the layout too well (the idea of reading on the computer itself, not the book’s layout). I definitely will try to get used to reading via a laptop / reading e-books as quite a few things are available in that form. I only mention this because it is something else that might have skewed my rating.

 

So, with all of these things working against the book, why 4/5 instead of 3/5 or even 2/5? Well, I used the goodreads rating and I really did like the book. Simple as that. Despite parts seeming unnecessary, the book itself held a very interesting idea/theme. I am going to be taking a class on trauma and literature in the fall and I think this would have been an excellent addition to the reading list. The book overall was more than “ok.”

 

I recommend this book to anyone who likes some of the unconventional creepy things (I LOVE Stephen King, so that might influence me a bit… and the Saw movies….). I would say that adult readers would be the best audience for this (or maybe late teens even). I really did enjoy it and hope that my review has been helpful to potential readers, etc.

 

Sincerely,

Taylor

 

View all my reviews

 

***

 

What I would like to add:

 

I would gladly reread the book again (if I had the time I would do it immediately!).  I felt bad that this was the first book that I had to read via e-copy, but I would have felt bad for whatever my first book would have been.  It’s definitely a different format than what I am used to.

 

However, I don’t think my opinion of the book would have changed too much had this been a printed copy.  (I just wouldn’t have gone on and on about e-copies within the review itself I guess…)

 

Very cool book and it had a different perspective than what I was used to…  I recommend it (as I stated within the review above) for more mature readers.

 

My rating: 4/5 stars

 

Sincerely,

Taylor

 

 

Have questions, requests, etc.?  Then please feel free to contact me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com 

Book Review: The FastDiet Cookbook: 150 Delicious, Calorie-Controlled Meals to Make Your Fasting Days Easy

The FastDiet Cookbook: 150 Delicious, Calorie-Controlled Meals to Make Your Fasting Days Easy

by Mimi Spencer, Sarah Schenker, Michael Mosley (Foreword)

 

 

Before I get into the review of this book, I just wanted to state that I won this book via a goodreads giveaway.  I want to thank whatever powers that be that allowed me to chosen to receive this book.  On a semi-more serious note, I want to state that my experience with cookbooks is highly limited.  (Seriously, I don’t think I have even looked through one to any great extent… Let alone review one…)  Anyway, I just wanted to apologize in case anyone finds this review in poor taste (ha – see what I did there?)

I also have no interest in fasting.  I know, sounds like I joined a meaningless giveaway on my part, right?  Wrong.  I have wanted to become healthier and saw this as an additional piece of motivation.

I have yet to actually try any of the recipes, but wanted to review the overall book within itself.  (So I apologize (again) is you were looking for some good dinner ideas via a review blog post…)

 

The images within this book are amazingly vivid.  Seriously – I was drooling over many of the salmon-filled images.  The bright and colorful pictures are reflected by the vivid descriptions of not only what goes into the meal but also why parts of the meal are considered healthy, etc.

 

The first few chapters of this book go through some of the basic ideas of the diet itself.  I was pleasantly surprised that the authors took into consideration the fact that not everyone is able to follow the same routines/diets/etc.  From what I have learned from diets (I’ve never been on one personally) is that the diets themselves are very strict.  This book’s opening chapters create a very warming and welcoming atmosphere and I found that I actually felt more relaxed about looking through the recipes – I definitely had a more open mind after reading how understanding the authors are.

 

I will admit that I did not read over each recipe in great detail.  (Go ahead, ask me about what recipe was on page 53 – I have no idea.)  BUT what I did notice was that each recipe had a section that sort of explained what was healthy about the meal, etc. and I tended to look at those more than the recipe themselves.  If (and when) I try some of these I will definitely be interested in the recipes’ “stories” (or “reasoning’s”) that go along with them.

 

Overall, I give the book 4/5 stars.  Good book overall!  I think it could help a lot of people who are trying to eat healthier (even if they do not plan on fasting).

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Sincerely,

Taylor

 

Have questions, comments, requests, etc.?  Feel free to contact me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com

Book Review: Plague Year

Plague Year by Stephanie S. Tolan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My review from Goodreads:

Everything was mostly working for David. He joined the running team at his school, had a girlfriend, and a female best friend. Everything changed when a new odd looking boy joined the school (Bram). There is something different about this boy other than just his appearance.

This would be a great literary circle book. I think students would become intrigued with the story. I would have assignments (perhaps journal entries) on what they think would happen next.

I loved this book. I was really upset with the ending, but overall the book was pretty interesting. It dealt with bullying to the extremes and I think that it showed how hateful some “good natured” people can be.

View all my reviews

***

Here is what I want to add:

I had to read this book for a class in college – one that taught about different genres, etc. that might interest secondary education aged students.  At first, I was mildly annoyed about having something else to read.  Despite the fact that I love reading, I had an additional assignment to read 50 Y/A books (10 could be picture books) by the end of the entire summer.  (I’m going to take a moment and brag that I logged 101 books by the end of the first half of the summer … Just throwing it out there.)

Anyway, at first I was bored with the book.  I had other things that I wanted to read.  However, after a very short time, I found myself sucked into the story.  I thought it was pretty predictable as to what would happen throughout the story (not the ending though!) but I couldn’t put the book down.  I started talking to the book and the books’ characters (a sign that I really am into a book and not just reading just to read) and found myself having to force myself to put the book down.

The general theme of bullying is central to the book as is being wrongly accused / inaccurately judged.  I am not sure if bullying has gotten worse or if there is just more media coverage of it – but I think a lot of students (and adults) could learn from this book.  The bullying that occurs within the text is not anything that I have ever witnessed nor have been a part of.  A friend of mine claimed that it was too much – that the author went too far.  I disagree.  The circumstances were so extreme that I could see the bullying becoming a realistic thing.

This book inspired me.  I plan on becoming a teacher and reading about teachers who (for the most part) stood by and let these things happen started a fire within me.  I couldn’t believe (yes, I did realize this was fiction) that teachers could turn such a blind eye to what was obviously going on.  I know that there are limitations to what teachers can do – there always have been and always will be – but I can’t help but feel they could have done more.  So, what has the book inspired me to do specifically? I now am going to make it a point to try an reach out to every student.  If I even get a hint of bullying or a student being highly unhappy, then I am going to do everything within my power to help them.  That might be direct approaches like talking to them or more indirect, such as just happening to bring up a book with a central theme that they could relate to. …

I have gone on a tangent a bit.  I apologize.  I loved this book and highly recommend it for readers in their teens and above.  There is some action, some relationship issues, and really almost a little bit of everything that a “problem novel” should cover.

My rating: 5/5 stars

Have a question, request, etc.?  Please feel free to e-mail me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com 

MONTH OF JULY: GOALS

HELLO AGAIN! 

Two blogs in two days – yay!  (Or at least I think it’s yay … you might just be thinking “Ugh. Not again.  I thought this was a review blog!  There’s no reviews here!”)  But – I don’t care!  (Ok, I care a little… actually a lot more than what I should … but that’s besides the point…)

SO – I know that 12 days have already passed from the month of July, but that’s why my goals will be short and to the point (probably, though this is me we’re talking about here, so there’s no telling how long these goals will be…)…

GOALS – July 2013

1. I have 7 books total to review via netgalley. 
Book 1: Apocalyptic Organ Grinder Ends: July 31
Book 2: The Companions  Ends: August 30
Book 3: Death of a King   Ends: September 10
Book 4: The Seance Society   Ends: October 1
Book 5: The Godborn    Ends: October 31
Book 6: Shakespeare v Lovecraft: A Horror Comedy Mash-Up featuring Shakespeare’s Characters and Lovecraft’s Creatures  Ends: N/A
Book 7: Zombie Nation   Ends: N/A

So official goal #1: Complete and have a review posted of Apocalyptic Organ Grinder by July 25. 

2. I have 166 reviews in goodreads. 
If I were to only post 1 review from goodreads a week, that would be a little over 3 years (if I have done the math correctly…)…  For the month of July, the goal will be: Post two reviews from goodreads a week.  (These will be randomly selected reviews.  I don’t even know the method I will pick.)

3. I have received a couple of books from goodreads’ giveaways.  One book I have had since June…
Goal: Read and post review of True Crime: Real-Life Stories of Abduction, Addiction, Obsession, Murder, Grave-robbing, and More

And there ya have it!

Official July 2013 Goals

-Complete (and post review of) Apocalyptic Organ Grinder by July 25

-Post 2 reviews from Goodreads a week

-Complete (and post review of) True Crime: Real-Life Stories of Abduction, Addiction, Obsession, Murder, Grave-robbing, and More

Ta-da!

Sincerely,

Taylor

Have a question, request, etc? Feel free to e-mail me at taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com

Allow Me To Introduce Myself …

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Hey there!  I’m Taylor (as the hyperlink and title of my page suggest…)!  I’m a senior in college, have 4 year old son (he’ll be 5 here soon!!), am engaged, and … oh yeah – LOVE books!  I love them so much, in fact, that I have acquired a large library (ok, subjective terms here, but … I think it’s mildly impressive…).  I suppose I should tell you now that I am (or can be) sarcastic.  Sometimes people pick up on it – but not always.  (Oy and is it a pain when they don’t!)  Anyway, I doubt sarcasm will be too big of a deal within my reviews.  Maybe.  Or maybe my reviews will be dripping with sarcasm …

ANYWAY – You might be interested in what I like to read, right?  (After all, how can you decide if you want to follow my blog or not if you don’t know what my blog will be on?)  **HINT: You really do want to follow my blog – don’t fight the urge – just go with it!**

So, a long story short … I love all kinds of books.  Right now my piles mostly consist of young adult books and literature (meaning classics).  I am currently trying to expand what I read by doing multiple things: 1. I have joined goodreads (find me https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20790138-taylor-troncin)…. 2. I have joined Netgalley (and have already received some ebooks from there!)…  3. I have acquired some various books (north of 50 total) for a variety of friends, teachers, and colleagues (thank you to each and every one of you!!).   4. I have also taken a variety of English / literature classes via college (ok, they’re required courses, but there’s always something to learn!!).

SO – you’ll find a wide range of books here.  I’ll try to do different types instead of oh … say …. 5 Y/A books and then 1 Mystery and then 10 Y/A and so on and so forth.  I might have a schedule posted (those who know me in real life know that I live for making lists … basically) at some point – but do not be surprised if and when I do not stick to it (stuff gets in the way … like life and power outages…).  I will try to though!

I also get distracted a lot.  This most likely won’t be a problem for my book reviews themselves – but if I am ever commenting on an author, book series, genre, etc. then it could become stressful for some.  Not all – but some. Maybe.

Feel free to comment and and/all reviews, posts, etc.  However, I will tell you now that if I feel your comments are mean, hurtful, unnecessary, etc. then I will delete the comment(s).  I know, highly subjective of me, right?  But seriously, don’t do it.  I don’t care if you’re disagreeing with me, the work that I reviewed, etc. – there is no need for a lot of negativity.

With that being said – I cannot promise all of my reviews will be positive.  I admire each and every author for a variety of reasons and if I post a “Eh, I didn’t really like this” review, I am NOT lashing out at the author or even the work itself.  Sometimes books don’t agree with everyone and that’s ok.

So, with all of that in mind…  Well … I’ve ran out of things to say.  That is, I still have plenty to say, but nothing that really would concern any of my readers….

OH – wait, I lied.  I want to post this link to Starr’s blog as she is one of the major influences on how I will be setting up my reviews, etc.  http://theliteratipress.blogspot.com/  Check out her site for some awesome reviews as well!

I guess I should maybe explain my goals and then go from there, right?  (I know, everyone is always excited to read these things….)

Goals

1. I would like to post 1 review per week.  If I am unable to do that (which something tells me taking a full load of classes and having a son in kindergarten will lead to me being unable to keep this goal) then I will try to at least post a reading update (or something of that nature) once a week.
2. I would like to keep you all up to date on what is coming up, etc. (which is an idea I sort of stole from Starr…. Thanks Starr!) and would like to post this perhaps once a month.
3. I will try to provide as much information about each book that I can, including: title, author, copyright, publisher, where I got the book from (if it’s from a contest, friend, etc.)…  This way if there’s a book you would be interested in, then you will be able to find it as well!

I know 3 goals probably doesn’t seem like a lot (it doesn’t to me…) but it’s a start, right?

How to Reach Me

• If anyone would like to reach me via a private message / e-mail (I know it can be intimidating to leavecomments, etc.) then my e-mail address for books/reviews/this blog is taylorreadingblog23@yahoo.com 
• You can also follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/taylor.troncin)
• Twitter – I have two accounts …
  • https://twitter.com/Troncin23 (this one is mostly used for my fandom of The Walking Dead and Norman Reedus…)
  • https://twitter.com/TaylorTroncin (this one is more personal / not really centered around anything specific)
• I’m also on Instagram (http://instagram.com/tastron) and have multiple blogs on Tumblr (my main blog is http://tastron23.tumblr.com/).
• I do have other blogs on wordpress.com:
  • http://todolists23.wordpress.com/ (yes, I have a blog for my to do lists…)
  • http://darylwithwalkers.wordpress.com/ (this one is for zombie related things – some zombie book reviews might pop up on there occasionally…) 

And now, I believe that is it… Please do let me know if you have any suggestions, questions, ideas, etc. I will try to keep the “how to reach me” section up to date.  If you do follow me on any/all of those sites – be sure to let me know that you’re following me because of this blog (or if you just think I’m a cool person – haha!).

Thanks for reading!  I look forward to begin reviewing books (and sharing them with you) soon!

Sincerely,

Taylor