Book Review and Feature: What's In My Pocket and Who Stole My Homework by Todd Key, Illustrated by Steve Ryder

This is a review and feature resulting from a gift by a talented entertainer and author.
Last month we spent a fun weekend at DeSoto Caverns Family Fun Park. Friday and Saturday nights during October they have a special event called Tomb of the Risen Dead. The event included a haunted cavern tour, a haunted maze, costumed characters and a juggling act. The juggler, Todd Key, did a great job and incorporated children, including our grandson, into the act. We got to visit with Todd and after the second night he surprised our granddaughters and grandson by giving them a copy of his books. (And that was before I told him I was a reviewer!)

Our grandchildren with Todd the Juggler.

Our older granddaughter, who is 7,  rushed back to the RV to read her book. She read it to her mother and me. When she finished she read it again... and again. And then asked me to read it to her.
Clearly she loved the book and we found it entertaining too.
What's in My Pocket?
by Todd Key and illustrator Steve Ryder

Paperback
Publisher: Toddkeybooks; 1st edition (2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0615360799
"What's in My Pocket" is the delightful, creative, and funny tale about the simple, strange, and completely BIZARRE items that Darius McDougal McDirty McBean pulls from his pocket before giving his pants to his Mom for washing. It's not a big deal when some coins, a rock, and a magnet come out of his pocket, but when Darius digs deeper he starts impossibly pulling out animals, people, and finally a dinosaur. How will Darius explain all of this to his Mom? Find out by reading this book.


Who Stole My Homework?
by Todd Key and illustrator Steve Ryder
Paperback

Who Stole My Homework? tells a new tale in Darius' life.
The BIG school project is due - the one that counts for half of the semester grade. Darius is riding to school on the bus and discovers his "finished" project is missing! "Someone must have STOLEN IT." But who....?

Review:
These books are written in rhyme which captivates young minds... and older ones too. Darius McDougal McDirty McBean is a young, active boy with an active imagination. His mother wants to wash his jeans and reminds him to empty his pockets. He starts with little things, like coins, a rock and a magnet. But then he progresses to larger and larger items that certainly would not fit in a pocket but make for great fun, giggles and smiles. The wording is perfect level reading for young readers or for parents to read to the younger crowd who haven't started reading yet. And the illustrations are perfectly loud and full of details to discover on  multiple readings.

Book two finds Darius panicking when he can't find his special homework project. He knows he did the work but can't remember where it is.

"My homework was MISSING!
It's gone! It's been took!
But how do I find it?
Where do I look?"
....

"Perhaps it was MOLE-MEN
Digging up through the ground.
They snatched up my work
Without making a sound.

Then they burrowed back down
To the core of the planet,
Engraving my writings
On great walls of granite."

I wish I had the books in front of me so I could share a verse from the first book. Still, you get a flavor from the verses above. If you have young ones at home I recommend these books for fun family reading entertainment.

Thank you Todd for making a special weekend even more fun and memorable. I believe that my grand kids will think of you and the fun time they had whenever they enjoy your fun books.

Todd spins a ball with our two older grandchildren.

Book Review: Power of the Matchmaker by Karey White, Rachael Anderson, Kelly Oram, & 9 more

This is a charming introduction to what looks to be a lovely series!

Power of the Matchmaker
by Karey White, Rachael Anderson, 
Kelly Oram, & 9 more

• File Size: 3402 KB
• Print Length: 60 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Mirror Press (November 3, 2015)
• ASIN: B013FIOAE0
• Genre: Romance
• My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0
• 
  

A prequel novella to the POWER OF THE MATCHMAKER Series
Mystical . . . Beautiful . . . Romantic . . .
Read the matchmaker’s story to find out where it all starts . . .
Mae Li has been in love with Chen Zhu for years, and he with her. But when the matchmaker arrives at the Zhu family home, she recommends another village girl for Chen.
Heartbroken, Mae Li watches as Chen does his duty by marrying another. Mae flees her village with the clothes on her back and her only possession—a pearl embedded comb, given to her as a goodbye gift from Chen Zhu.
Upon Mae’s arrival in Shanghai, she quickly learns that she’ll starve within days unless she sells her prized comb or joins a courtesan house. She goes to the Huangpu River and promises the River God that she’ll always be selfless if he will save her from becoming a prostitute . . . Her wish is granted when Ms. Tan, the matchmaker of Shanghai, finds Mae. But Mae must completely change her future and her name if she is to become the next matchmaker.
**Join us for the POWER OF THE MATCHMAKER SERIES**
12 novels by 12 bestselling authors

Review:
Mae Li is heartbroken when the matchmaker comes in town and doesn’t match her with the man she loves, Chen Zhu. Mae Li refuses to marry her match and tries to get Chen Zhu to run away with her. He refuses but gives her a family comb embedded with pearls. Mae Li flees her village with only her clothes and the precious comb.

Mae Li struggles in Shanghai where she almost gets trapped in a courtesan house. Starving and in desperation, she finds her way to the river and falls on her knees to pray to the River God and her ancestors. By morning, Mae Li is rescued by the Shanghai matchmaker, Ms. Tan. Ms. Tan has been a matchmaker for many years and it’s time to train a replacement. Ms. Tan asks Mae Li to be an intern for one year before deciding if she will take over. Mae Li watches Ms. Tan work and learns a very different approach that reveals, as Ms. Tan says, “the power of the matchmaker”.

This is a charming and delightful read. Mae Li is a relatable character – young and in love. She doesn’t want to be disrespectful to her traditions but she won’t marry a man she doesn’t like and she hurts too much to stay and watch her love marry another young woman. Late in the story there is a surprise, sweet reunion.

The power of the matchmaker is beautifully portrayed. This is a great lead that pulled me in and makes me want to read more in the series. I recommend this to readers who like sweet, beautiful romance with the magic of love.

I received this eBook through I am a Reader, Not a Writer ebooks for review, for an honest review.

**Join us for the POWER OF THE MATCHMAKER SERIES**

12 novels by 12 bestselling authors
Released once a month in 2016:

Broken Things to Mend by Karey White (Jan 2016)
Not Always Happenstance by Rachael Anderson (Feb 2016)
If We Were a Movie by Kelly Oram (March 2016)
Love is Come by Heather B. Moore (April 2016)
Four Chambers by Julie Wright (May 2016)
O'er the River Liffey by Heidi Ashworth (June 2016)
Chasing Fireflies by Taylor Dean (July 2016)
Between Earth and Heaven by Michele Paige Holmes (Aug 2016)
How I Met Your Brother by Janette Rallison (Sept 2016)
To Move the World by Regina Sirois (Oct 2016)
King of the Friend Zone by Sheralyn Pratt (Nov 2016)
The Reformer by Jaima Fixsen (Dec 2016)

Book Review: Dead Girl Running (The New Order Book 1) by Ann M. Noser

I liked the well-developed characters and plot in this solidly engaging dystopian story.
Dead Girl Running (The New Order Book 1)
by Ann M. Noser

• File Size: 1551 KB
• Print Length: 225 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press (October 26, 2015)
• ASIN: B014L9Z51Y
• Genre: Sci Fi, Dystopian
• My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Eight years ago, SILVIA WOOD's father died in an industrial accident. After suffering through years of Psychotherapy Services and Mandated Medications for depression and multiple suicide attempts, she longs to work in Botanical Sciences. When the Occupation Exam determines she must work in Mortuary Sciences instead, she wonders if the New Order assigned her to the morgue to push her over the edge.
To appease her disappointed mother, Silvia enters the Race for Citizen Glory, in an attempt to stand out in the crowd of Equals. After she begins training with "golden boy" LIAM HARMAN, she discovers he also lost his father in the same accident that ruined her childhood. Then Silvia meets and falls for Liam's older cousin, whose paranoid intensity makes her question what really happened to her father.
As the race nears, Silvia realizes that she's not only running for glory, she's running for her life.

Review:
Silvia lives in a world where the New Order keeps citizens safe by walling them in, controlling their career paths and parenting rights, providing health care, allocating housing and rationing food. Cameras are everywhere to monitor the citizens and make sure no one is disruptive so living can be free of conflict and stress.

Sylvia lost her father to an accidental fire when she was 10 years old. She was initially devastated and didn’t find any support from her grieving mother. She was trying to cope until the therapists and the ‘men in dark suits’ kept hounding her with questions. She finally found a way to push through the heartache with her own routines, gaining strength in running and yoga. However the damage to her records was done and her occupational testing sent her to the unpopular office of Mortuary Sciences instead of the gardens of Botanical Sciences where she had longed to work.

Over the past eight years she has become close friends with her boss, Gus, who finds her to be a smart and dedicated assistant. Her mother wishes she would meet friends her own age and is glad when Silvia meets Liam at the gym.

Liam is a popular guy who wants Silvia to help him to train for the prestigious Race for Citizen Glory. Her initial reluctance changes to eagerness when she learns they can actually train by running outside instead of inside on the treadmill. That alone makes it worth her while. Then she meets Liam’s older cousin, Franco, who works in the Botanical Sciences. Silvia tries to resist her growing attraction to the paranoid Franco who is intriguing one minute and bizarre the next.

Silvia has to visit the medical office to register as an 18 year old, then during the training she is annoyed that she has to make repeated return visits. First they give her a birth control implant and then they continually check her for pregnancy.

Bit by bit, Silvia sees strange happenings as she learns secrets surrounding her father and her new friends. She and Liam have a good chance of winning the race which will give them extra rations and special treatment. But Silvia begins to suspect that the extra attention is not necessarily a good thing.

I found this dystopian very engaging. I liked the different, well-developed characters and their interactions. The society is a creepy and chilling, especially as more of the political ambitions and disparities are uncovered. The author uses the mortuary setting to include interesting medical knowledge. The ending clearly leaves the world open for another dangerous adventure but it gives this book a natural place of closure.

I recommend this to readers who like dystopian stories, mystery and strong characters. I would like to read more by Ms. Noser and will watch for the next book in this series.

I received this sci fi dystopian from the author, for an honest review, after seeing it at Caffeinated Book Review. (Thanks for sharing this Kimberly.)

Sunday Post November 15, 2015/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday November 16, 2015

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's Monday! What Are You Reading now at The Book Date.
Thank you to Sheila for the years that she handled this meme.
Thank you to Kathryn for taking up the baton.

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

This was my week to be and out of the office with two doctor appointments. (The ENT thyroid follow-up was good; the skin follow-up resulted in one skin carcinoma being frozen off, and a biopsy of a hole in the middle of my back which she closed with three stiches – I said “ouch!”) I worked hard during the week adding publishing tasks into my schedule and pushing the work because we were out of town Friday and Saturday.

My reading and listening was good with five books completed. I finished two print books, and three ebooks with an Audible 3/4ths done. I posted four reviews, one with tour giveaway, one with print giveaway. I also posted the usual memes.

I enjoyed visiting and replying to visitors at the beginning of the week.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post November 8, 2015/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday November 9, 2015.

• Book Review: Whispers in the Reading Room (The Chicago World's Fair Mystery Series Book 3) by Shelley Gray; Historical Romance, Inspirational, Mystery; my rating 5.0.

• Book Tour Review with Giveaway: Merry Mary by Ashley Farley; Contemporary, Holiday Novella; my rating 4.0.

• Book Review: Nirvana (Nirvana Series Book 1) by J.R. Stewart; Sci Fi, Fantasy, Dystopian; my rating 4.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway November 13, 2015. Open Worldwide. Ends 11/19/2015.

• Audible Review: Just One Da**ed Thing After Another: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 1 by Jodi Taylor; Urban Fantasy, Paranormal; my rating 4.25.

• Sharing Beyond Books #227 Comment Giveaway November 14, 2015 Open Worldwide. Ends 11/21/15.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement November 15, 2015.

• Book Review and Giveaway: Katt’s In the Cradle: A Secrets from Lulu's Cafe Novel by Ginger Kolbaba, Christy Scannel; Contemporary, Inspirational, Women’s Friendship; my rating 3.5.

Finished Reading:

1. eBook/Kindle

Merry Mary
by Ashley Farley
This is a quick, enjoyable novella.
My review and the tour giveaway is linked above.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Print

Katt's in the Cradle: A Secrets from Lulu's Cafe Novel
by Ginger Kolbaba, Christy Scannell
This is an inspirational drama. My review and giveaway is linked above. 
Click on book title for full description.

3. Print

You Know What I'm Sayin'?: Poetry * Drama
by Daniel García Ordaz
I enjoyed this cultural experience.
I will post a review next week.
Click on book title for full description.

4. eBook/Kindle

Dead Girl Running (The New Order Book 1)
by Ann M. Noser
This sci fi dystopian is engaging. 
I will post my review this coming week.
Click on book title for full description.

5.eBook/Kindle

Power of the Matchmaker
by Karey White, Rachael Anderson, 
Kelly Oram, & 9 more
This is a charming introduction
to what looks to be a lovely series!
I received this eBook through
  I am a Reader, Not a Writer ebooks for review.
I will post my review this week.
A prequel novella to the POWER OF THE MATCHMAKER Series
Mystical . . . Beautiful . . . Romantic . . .
Read the matchmaker’s story to find out where it all starts . . .
Mae Li has been in love with Chen Zhu for years, and he with her. But when the matchmaker arrives at the Zhu family home, she recommends another village girl for Chen.
Heartbroken, Mae Li watches as Chen does his duty by marrying another. Mae flees her village with the clothes on her back and her only possession—a pearl embedded comb, given to her as a goodbye gift from Chen Zhu.
Upon Mae’s arrival in Shanghai, she quickly learns that she’ll starve within days unless she sells her prized comb or joins a courtesan house. She goes to the Huangpu River and promises the River God that she’ll always be selfless if he will save her from becoming a prostitute . . . Her wish is granted when Ms. Tan, the matchmaker of Shanghai, finds Mae. But Mae must completely change her future and her name if she is to become the next matchmaker.
**Join us for the POWER OF THE MATCHMAKER SERIES**
12 novels by 12 bestselling authors

Currently reading:
1. Audible/MP3

Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile
Written by: J. L. Bourne
Narrated by: Jay Snyder
I am 3/4ths complete on this action story.
I listened to the first book sometime ago and decided to listen to this one which has been on my Audible shelf since 2011.
The first book of Day by Day Armageddon took us deep into the mind of a military officer and survivor as he made a New Year's resolution to start keeping a journal. The man kept his resolution and brought to us the fall of humanity, day by day. We see the man transition from the life that you and I live to the prospect of fighting for his very survival against the overwhelming hordes of the dead. We see him bleed, we see him make mistakes, we witness him evolve. The highly anticipated sequel to the best-selling underground cult classic, Day by Day Armageddon, begins where the first novel left off.
BEGIN INTERCEPT
Armies of undead have risen up across the U.S. and around the globe; there is no safe haven from the diseased corpses hungering for human flesh. But in the heat of a Texas wasteland, a small band of survivors attempt to counter the millions closing in around them.
INTERCEPT COMPLETED
Day by day, the handwritten journal entries of one man caught in a worldwide cataclysm capture the desperation--and the will to survive--as he joins forces with a handful of refugees to battle soulless enemies both human and inhuman from inside an abandoned strategic missile facility. But in the world of the undead, is mere survival enough?
©2010 J.L. Bourne (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

2. eBook/Kindle

Steal Me (NYPD's Finest)
by Lauren Layne
I just started this and I like the characters.
I received this title through NetGalley for tour review and feature on November 25 for Forever Romance.
IN HOT PURSUIT
Being a cop might be in Anthony Moretti's blood, but protecting and serving the city of New York has always been more than just the family business. If that means his love life stays locked up, well then that's just another sacrifice made in the line of duty. That is, until he sets eyes on the gorgeous new waitress at The Darby Diner and suddenly Anthony's morning coffee is leaving him a whole lot more hot and bothered than usual.
Though waitressing at The Darby isn't exactly Maggie Walker's dream job, it pays the bills and gives her time to work on her novel. Now if only she could stop fantasizing about gorgeous Anthony Moretti every time he sits down at her table, she'd really be in great shape. But when he needs her help identifying a criminal threatening The Darby-and Maggie recognizes her ex-husband-she fears her fresh start might be a pipe dream. Faster than a New York minute, Maggie and Anthony find themselves in one perilous pursuit that only gets hotter with each and every rule-breaking kiss.

3. eBook/Kindle

Joy to the Worlds: Mysterious Speculative Fiction for the Holidays
by Maia Chance , Janine A. Southard, Raven Oak,G. Clemans
I am looking forward to reading this collection that I received through NetGalley.
What do you get when you mix mystery and speculative fiction, then toss in the holidays for good measure? A mobster Santa, genetic hanky-panky, Victorian villages, time-travelling detectives, Krampus, eerie bell spirits, and more–this collection of short cross-genre fiction is the perfect counterpoint to traditional holiday reading!

This collection stars four authors, each with their own distinct style. National bestselling mystery author Maia Chance, who is famous for her cozy mysteries, dazzles with humor and folklore. IPPY award-winning science fiction author Janine A. Southard beguiles with unexpected time-travel science. Science fiction and fantasy bestseller Raven Oak offers a look into the gothic past. And for a whole new perspective, debut fiction author and art expert G. Clemans dives into the intersections of creativity and mystery.

Joy to the Worlds brings together eight short works that explore mysteries across time and space. Ranging from dark dystopian worlds to comedic retro-futures, four diverse writers find new ways to combine these disparate worlds into something everyone will enjoy.

???4. Audible/MP3

Unspeakable
Written by: Sandra Brown
Narrated by: John Henry Cox
I needed a book starting in U for the Alphabet Soup Challenge.
This is from 2003 in my Audible library.
I realized as I began to listen that I had read this and I found it in my 2008 reading list.
I stopped listening after a few hours as it is pretty gritty and there is a good bit of foul language, even though it is intense suspense. 
I have selected another "U" title that I may grab later this week. 

October 1, 2015- I am still up to date on Bible reading and greatly enjoying the readings-- It seems my eyes are open to more details and meaning. I am reading The One Year Bible again along with my husband and others from our church. I am also listening to the companion commentary online.

I posted five reviews last week which left three new so I am back to three although, again, I hope to post four reviews this coming week. I have two NetGalley selections to read this week which will reduce my shelf to one.
I have read 8 of my 12 TBR Pile books and I have picked the last four. I hope plan to start reading them before the end of the month. 

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I didn’t select any new review titles.
I purchased two Audible titles with my October credits.
And of course I added more free kindle titles to my library.
(I am trying to hold off requesting anything new at NetGalley. I requested some new Audio books through Audiobook Jukebox but other than that I am working on challenges and TBR piles!)
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

I am starting to plan for 2016 Challenges so I am picking books I know I want to read and then in 2016 I’ll try some new authors. I decided on my two Audible Purchases for October credits from two series I really like:
Monster Hunter Legion: Monster Hunter, 
Book 4
by Larry Correia

Destroyermen: Straits of Hell: Destroyermen, Book 10

by Taylor Anderson

Free

Over the past week I added 48 free Kindle titles to my library. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Book Review and Giveaway: Katt's in the Cradle: A Secrets from Lulu's Cafe Novel by Ginger Kolbaba, Christy Scannel

This tells the story of four pastor wives (PWs) and the challenges they face.

Katt's in the Cradle: A Secrets from Lulu's Cafe Novel
by Ginger Kolbaba, Christy Scannell

Series: Secrets from Lulu's Cafe
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Howard Books; Original edition (February 3, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1416543899
Genre: Inspirational Fiction, Women's Friendship
My Rating: 3.5 of 5.0

When you're in the trenches, sometimes you're up to your neck in mud. That's the not-so-glamorous life of a pastor's wife.

Felicia's family is...complicated. That's putting it nicely. Now they're flying in from LA -- all at once -- to stay with her...just when her brother-in-law, Javier, and Mama aren't even speaking to each other. And the whole church will be there to witness the feud.

Mimi has a lot on her mind with her four energetic kids -- especially Milo the screamer, with his Pavarotti voice. Then her live-in alcoholic dad starts to mow their lawn at midnight.

Lisa has her hands full with loudmouth Tom Graves and the other troublemakers at Red River Assembly. Then vicious rumors start to fly about the Barton family...and the attacks and threats get increasingly personal.

Jennifer is pushing her adopted daughter, Carys, in a stroller, when she notices a black town car -- the same car she's seen several times over the past week. Could someone be following her?

The PWs plunge into an unnerving mystery...and discover what "family" really means.

Review:
This book follows four PWs, pastor’s wives, and their family, and church, struggles.
Mimi has a houseful of kids, including a young toddler and a child with a loud mouth. However, her biggest challenge is her alcoholic father who lives with them. He refuses to honor the AA commitments and is rebellious about being ‘worthless”. Jennifer has an adopted biracial child and is concerned that someone is following her. She is also struggling to cope with her chemically imbalanced mother who goes off the medications and goes on spending binges that she can’t afford.

Felecia has a toddler but is struggling with whether to have a second child. She comes from a strong Hispanic family who all decide to come visit even though Mother isn’t speaking to one of the sons-in-law. Lisa is a mostly spiritually calm personality with a fairly calm home life to the extent a home can be calm with a teenage daughter and young teen son. Lisa’s crisis is a rebellious church member who is challenging the Pastor’s call to repentance and dividing the church through bullying and unfounded rumor against Lisa’s family.

Over the past couple of years (and first two books) these four have formed a close knit group. They support each other by meeting for lunch every other week at LuLu’s Café located in a town 40 miles away. There they encourage their waitress, Gracie, to find a relationship with God not so much by preaching to her but by living their lives as a testimony.

A new PW has appeared in town, married to the recently widowed Pastor Katt. The other PWs want to make the larger group of PWs more real and supportive. But can they live this desire first by welcoming and opening up to the new Ally Katt?

This book has a mess of dysfunctional families. Many issues that could face a pastor’s wife face these ladies. The story brought compassion from our ladies towards our Pastor’s wife who is one of our readers. She said she felt that she had faced all of the issues at one time or another. The story has some lightness to it even though it deals with difficult situations.

The ending wraps this time period for the women with appropriate Christian lessons of forgiveness, caring, faithfulness, trust and hope. None of us were overwhelmed with the book and we sure weren’t going to pay $14. 99 for the Kindle edition. This might be interesting to readers who don’t mind the mess of family dysfunction and drama presented with humor and Christian lessons.

I purchased irregular print copies at low price for Ladies Book Club October reading which we discussed November 7.

TWO (gently read) PRINT COPY GIVEAWAY

US Only

ENTRY FORM HERE

(Don't forget to fill in the form for entry!

I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.)

For 3 Extra Bonus entries

(a) comment on the review, OR

(b) Visit the AUTHOR'S WEBSITE and tell me something you learned or like there.

* This contest is open to US only for Print Copy.
* This contest will close 5 PM (Central) November 22, 2015.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED after November 22, 2015.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond on the winners form linked in the announcement or by email.