Thursday, March 31, 2016

Review - Rotten School: Got Cake?



128 pages; Amazon
No, I didn't forget about this week's Thursday ReReads. I had read Rotten School: Got Cake? early yesterday morning (Thursday), but I was so busy during the day, I was just too tired to write the review for it; which explains why I'm posting this today (Friday), though I'm posting it under a Thursday post (yesterday). Does any of this make any sense?

Anyhow, this the 13th entry in the Rotten School series (out of 16) once again has our favorite 4th-grader Bernie Bridges is up to no good.

After giving us, readers, a quick understanding on how to be popular, Bernie runs into Leif Blower, a 6th-grader, who is in charge of this year's Rotten School Yearbook. To celebrate the 100th year edition of the yearbook, there will be a special page called "The Most Popular Rotten Egg," in which the most popular student will get one whole paged dedicated to them.

As you can probably guess, Bernie wants to be featured on the 100 anniversary page, and he will do anything and everything to prove he is the most popular student.

How will he do this?

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Spring Reads: The Princess Twins and the Tea Party


32 pages; $3.99; Amazon
There is no better time than the present to get your kids into reading with the I Can Read! books, a series that has five different reading levels:

My First - ideal for sharing with emergent readers.
1 - simple sentences for eager new readers.
2 - high-interest stories for developing readers.
3 - complex plots for confident readers.
4 - the perfect bridge to chapter books.

Now available in bookstores from ZonderKidz is the picture book The Princess Twins and the Tea Party by author Mona Hodgson with pictures by Julie Olson.

The Princess Twins and the Tea Party centers on Emma and Abby, twin princess with big imaginations. Princess Emma is excited that today is Spring Tea Day, in which their friends will be coming over to their home for tea.

Everything has to be just perfect for tea party. Princess Emma double-checks to make sure the cakes have enough sugar in them, the table is set correctly and that the perfect tea is going to be used.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Review - A Coffee Lover's Guide To Coffee



238 pages; $4.99; Amazon
Just because you are a big coffee drinker (like me), doesn't mean you know every single thing about coffee.

Available now to read on Amazon Kindle is A Coffee Lover's Guide To Coffee by Shlomo Stern, a very detailed eBook that explains everything there needs to know about my making one cup of coffee.

Did you know the first coffee shop opened in 1475 in Constantinople, Turkey?

Did you know the first instant coffee was patented in New Zealand in 1890?

You'll learn where a coffee tree is planted around the world, how the coffee beans are processed and roasted to perfection. Learn about the different tastes/flavors of coffee.

The book goes into detail about the different stages of roasting as well as the the best ways to grind and store the coffee beans/grounds. There are also chapters on instant coffees, decaffeinated coffees, coffee brewing methods, everything espresso related, milk frothing, different coffee beverages, and much more.

Review - Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade


72 minutes (counting extras); Amazon
Just in case you missed the premiere of the new Ice Age television special on Fox last weekend, The Great Egg-Scapade is now available to own on Digital HD ( iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Video, Sony Playstation Store, Microsoft Movies & TV and MGo).

Picking up after the events of 2012's Ice Age: Continental Drift, The Great Egg-Scapade centers on Sid (voiced by John Leguizamo), who comes with the idea that he is responsible enough to babysit a dozen eggs while the mother's are gathering food. Sounds like a great plan, well, that is until Sid falls asleep and when he wakes up all the eggs have disappeared.

The ex-pirate bunny Squint (voiced by Seth Green) wants revenge for his ship being destroyed in Continental Drift, so he kidnaps all the eggs. He paints the eggs and scatters them around the land. Manny (voiced Ray Romano), Diego (voiced Denis Leary) must go along with Sid on an egg hunt, with a little help from Squint's brother Clint (voiced by Blake Anderson).

Meanwhile, Crash (voiced by Seann Williams Scott) and Eddie (voiced by Josh Peck) try to play an April Fools' joke on Peaches (played Keke Palmer).

Special Features includes:

Cosmic Scrat-trastrophe: A five-minute sneak peek of ICE AGE: THE COLLISION COURSE
Ice Age: The Story So Far
More Nuts for Scrat
Ice Age – Continental Crack-Up, Part 1
Ice Age – Continental Crack-Up, Part 2
Gone Nutty – Scrat’s Missing Adventure
No Time For Nuts
Falling For Scratte
Scrat: From Head to Toe
Educational Featurettes: Lost Historical Films, The Sloth: “Nature’s Loveable Lisper”, The Saber-Toothed Tiger: “Nature’s Fearsome Feline”, The Possum: “Nature’s Spunky Spectacles

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Review & Giveaway - Brooklyn Bean Roastery "Bold Variety" Roast Coffees


There's no reason for me to go into an excessive rambling about my love for coffee as I've already written many posts about my caffeine addiction; so it should be no surprise to anyone that I'm once again writing a review for a coffee brand.

This month I was sent the "Bold Variety" Roast Coffees from Brooklyn Bean Roastery, which contains 40 single-serve coffee cups. All the cups are compatible with most Keurig brewers. Brooklyn Bean Roastery coffees are made from 100% Arabica coffee beans.




The flavors are

Cyclone - a dark, extra bold roast with a sweet and smoky flavor. 

Fuhgeddaboutit -  an extremely dark, extra bold roast with a smoky blend.

Express-O - an espresso roast that was made for those who need a quick pick-me-up early in the mornings.

French Roast - a dark roast with an intense smoky flavor.


Friday, March 25, 2016

Book Blogger Hop: March 25th - 31st


Book Blogger Hop

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews!

How much of your day is devoted to your blog, and how much is devoted to reading?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
  

My Answer: 

  I spend at least an hour per day writing posts for this blog; somtimes even longer. I don't read every single day, but when I do, I read for at least 90 minutes.


Linky List:

Review: Adventure Bible: Elijah, God's Mighty Prophet

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Zonderkids; 32 pages; $3.99; Amazon
With this being Easter weekend, I wanted to share a review for a religious-themed book, so I thought I would turn to the popular Adventure Bible series.

Produced by Zonderkidz (Zondervan), the series puts the Bible Stories into words that younger readers will understand, along with colorful illustrations.

Adventure Bible: Elijah, God's Mighty Prophet is 32-pages and features pictures by David Miles, and it's a part of the I Can Read! series (level 2).

As the story goes,  King Ahab thought the only true god was Baal and many of his people thought so as well. After Elijah found about about this, he made the announcement, "There will be no more rain in Israel until I say so. God is not happy with you."

The streams quickly dried up and most of the food was gone. Later, Elijah runs across a woman and her young child, whom only had a little flour and oil. He told them to go make a loaf of bread and they did as he asked. A miracle occurs, and the woman and child would never run out of flour and oil again.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Review - Rotten School: Battle of the Dum Diddys


128 pages; Amazon
Have you ever gotten addicted to a video game? I'm sure that many of us have done just that. Well, the 12th installment of the Rotten School series, Battle of the Dum Diddys, has a similar theme.

The book starts out with the 4th-grader Bernie Bridges being called into Headmaster Upchuck's office. While he doesn't have a clue to why he was asked to be there, he overhears Headmaster Upchuck saying that the school might shut down if the Board of Inspectors doesn't find that the school is up to their standards.

Bernie knows that Rotten School isn't the best boarding school, so that means the school will be closed in less than a week. Will Bernie help to get the school into shape in time for the inspection day?

Nope!

Bernie is all about himself, and with only a few days until the school will shut down, Bernie is on a quest to make as much money as he can by scheming his fellow classmates. However, his plan comes to a halt when all the students go missing.

Where have the Rotten School students disappeared to?

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

DVD Review - Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season



Not Rated;
559 minutes; $59.99; Amazon
Fans of the hit HBO series Games of Thrones will have to wait a bit longer for the new season to begin, which will premiere on April 24th. Until then, you can rewatch The Complete Fifth Season that is available to own on DVD & Blu-ray, featuring all 10 episodes.

The fantasy series is based on the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series by George R. R. Martin. The fifth season uses materials from the fourth and fifth novels (A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons), as well as borrowing a few scenes from the third book (A Storm of Swords) and the yet-to-be-released sixth novel, The Winds of Winter.

Picking up shortly after the fourth season finale, Tyrion Lannister (played by Peter Dinklage) is on the run after murdering his father, Tywin. He is later captured by Jorah Mormont (played by Iain Glen), who plans on delivering Tyrion to Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke), in the hope she will forgive him for his betrayal. Daenerys has more things to worry about than her former guard returning as a civil war is brewing in her kingdom.

Arya Stark (played by Maisie Williams) makes her way to House of Black and White, so she can learn the powers of the Many-faced God; however, her passion for revenge might ruin everything.

Jamie Lannister (played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), along with Bronn (Jerome Flynn), travels to Dorne retrieve his teenage niece/daughter, Myrcella (played by Nell Tiger Free), but things aren't quite as easy they planned it to be.

While Cersel Lannister (played by Lena Headey) awaits Jamie's return with their daughter, she must deal with a religious group, the Sparrows, who are determined to out anyone who sins.

Jon Snow (Kit Harington) has more problems than any other character as he steps into the role as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. After making the decision to make an alliance with the wildlings, his men loses their trust in him. To make matters worse, the White Walkers and their army of dead are getting closer.


The bonus features on the five-disc DVD set are:

Monday, March 21, 2016

Blu-ray Review - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2


PG-13; 137 mins; $39.99; Amazon
Being somewhat of a movie buff, I had nearly forgotten the fact that the final installment of The Hunger Games franchise, Mockingjay - Part 2, was released to theaters last November. I recall seeing a few advertisements for the film, but between the Spectre (the 24th James Bond flick) and the Star Wars madness last year, it totally slipped my mind.

Despite being judged for the studio's decision to split the final installment into two films, Mockingjay - Part 2 was a commercial success; taking in $653 million at the box-office, thought it was the least profitable of the franchise.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 will be arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack tomorrow, March 22nd, from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Also being released tomorrow is The Hunger Games Complete 4-Film Collection on Blu-ray and DVD. The Digital HD was released on March 8th.

Based on the best-selling book series by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 picks up where the previous film had ended. The rebels had rescued Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson), but he's been brainwashed by the Capitol, resulting in his hatred for Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence).


Against orders from President Alma Coin (played by Julianne Moore), Katniss sneaks aboard a supply ship that will take her to the Capitol. Upon arrival, Commander Paylor (played by Patina Miller) assigns Katniss to the Star Squad, a team lead by Boggs (played by Mahershala Ali). Basically, they will film Katniss as a hero at the same time the rebels take control of the Capitol; though their mission is put into jeopardy when Peeta joins their team.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Book Blogger Hop: March 18th - 24th

Book Blogger Hop

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews!

Has your contact with authors usually been in person, via e-mail, social media, or something else?Do you believe audio books are the future and why do believe?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
  

My Answer: 

  I usually communicate by email with either the author's agent or publisher; though occasionally the author actually contacts me (email).


Linky List:

Spring Reads: The Princess Twins and the Birthday Party


ZonderKidz; $16.99; 32 pages; Amazon
I don't normally pay too attention to new books that are written for girls, but I have a much younger cousin, so I thought I would keep my eye out on any new titles which she might enjoy. When I saw that The Princess Twins and the Birthday Party was available to review through BookLook Bloggers, I eagerly signed up to review it.

Written by Mona Hodgson and published by ZonderKidz as an "I can Read!" series (1 - Beginning Reading), The Princess Twins and the Birthday Party centers on Emma and Abby, twin sisters who are princesses, and today is their birthday!

Emma and Abby hop out of bed, both excited about their big day. They pick out the prettiest dresses, put on their crowns, and head downstairs to eat breakfast with their parents. Then the twins help set things up for their birthday party, like name cards, etc..

Before long, their friends arrive carring presents for the twins. Everyone seems to be having a great time, well, all except for Emma's friend Beth, who has vanished from the party. Where did Emma go?

Review - A Daring Sacrifice


Zondervan; 224 pages; Amazon
It seems that retelling classic fairy tales and other mythological stories is the in-thing in the YA fiction market. Some of you might recall me reading The Golden Braid last year by author Jody Hedlund, which was a new version of Rapunzel. Now the author has put her spin on the old Robin Hood story with a blend of Disney/Pixar's Brave.

A Daring Sacrifice centers on Julianna Wessex, a young woman whom has kicked away her royal roots and grabbed a bow & arrows to seek revenge against her uncle, Lord Wessex, who had murdered her father. She now spends her days as the "cloaked  bandit," robbing the rich and giving back to poor. (Sounds a bit familiar!).

Julianna thought the whole kingdom believed that she was dead; well, that is until she robbed Collin Goodrich, who instantly recognized her.

Later after becoming injured, Julianna must rely on Collin's help. She agrees to stay at his estate for one week to heal her wounds and in exchange Collin must live with her in the woods for a week. Sounds simple enough to Julianna, but the one thing she never thought would happen does - she falls in love him.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Review - Rotten School: Punk'd and Skunked


188 pages; Amazon
In my continuing quest to reread the entire 16 book Rotten School series by R.L. Stine, I sat down this afternoon, took a few sips of coffee and read book 11, Rotten School: Punk'd and Skunked.

The series takes place at the boarding school called Rotten School and centers on a fourth-grader, Bernie Bridges, a student who annoys his teachers and tries to con his fellow classmates out of money.

For this installment, Bernie is excited about the upcoming Make-a-Great-Invention Contest, in which each dorm (there are three) will compete for a chance to win a trip to the super-rich prep school, Preppy Prep Prep. Then the winners will compete against other schools at the prep school with a chance to when $5,000.

Bernie is desperate to win the $5,000. He tries to get his buddies at the Rotten House to help him come up with a great idea for the contest. Sadly, they end up with the stupidest invention - a battery-powered Nose Vac.

Despite having the worst invention, Bernie and pals win the contest as Headmaster Upchuck will do anything to get rid of Bernie for a few days.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Popcorn & Coffee: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast To The Past



Not Rated; 43 mins; $14.99; Amazon
Arriving today on DVD from Nickelodeon is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast To The Past; the 43-minute movie spin-off of the current TMNT animated series. There are no special features or extras. However, it does come with a bonus Nick Jr. DVD.

Based on the Playmates Toys' Half-Shell Heroes, "Blast To the Past" dropped the current computer-animation style and went with a 2D animation look. The four turtles are now half the size of what they are in the regular series, but they still have the same voices.

After finding crystals inside a meteorite that will help power up Donatello's new turtle vehicle, he accidentally sends himself along with his brothers, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael, as well as Bebop and Rocksteady, back in time to the Cretaceous Period.

The turtles don't exactly fit in with this era as they're constantly being chased by hungry dinosaurs. They would rather just head back home, but the meteorite's crystals have been destroyed.  To make things worse, their enemy, the Triceratons, are also there; forcing the dinosaurs to help them mine for crystals.

Leo, Donnie, Raph and Mikey must befriend a few dinosaurs and plan a last-minute attack on the Triceratons, in the hope of stopping the aliens' plans, rescue Bebop and Rocksteady (Yep, they're in trouble!) and grab a few crystals, so they can return home to NYC.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Popcorn & Coffee: Just Visiting



PG-13; 89 minutes; $9.98; Amazon
Available on to own on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment tomorrow is the 2001 comedy Just Visiting. Directed by Jean-Marie Gaubert and produced by the late John Hughes, the film stars Jean Reno, Christina Applegate, Christian Clavier, Malcolm McDowell, Tara Reid and Bridgette Wilson. There are no special features of extras on the single-disc.

Just Visiting is the American remake of the French comedy Les Visiteurs, which was also directed by Jean-Marie Poiré and starred Jean Reno and Christian Clavier. A sequel, Les visiteurs 2: Les couloirs du temps, was released in 1998 and a third film, Les Visiteurs 3 : La Terreur, is scheduled to be released this year.

The American version centers on Lord Thibault Malféte (played by Jean Reno), who is about to marry Princess Rosalind. During the wedding banquet, Thibault's drink is spiked by a witch, causing him to  hallucinate and kills Rosalind. Quickly sentence to death by the king, Thibault's loyal servant Andre (played by Christian Clavier) finds a wizard (played by Malcolm McDowell) to send him back in time. However, things go wrong. Thiabualt and Andre end up being sent to the year 2000.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Review - Sports Clothing Made From Water Bottles

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.


I hate to admit this, but I know absolutely nothing about athletic clothing. When I exercise, I normally wear just pair of old sleep pants; which might not be stylish to some, but it works for me. However, one of my goals for this year is to either start walking or jogging around town; and I would rather not be wearing my old sleep pants.

While coming up with new products to review, I was approached by Infinite Clothing to test out one of their activewear clothes.

What makes their activewear different from other brands?

Friday, March 11, 2016

Book Blogger Hop: March 11th - 17th

Book Blogger Hop

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Vicki Lee @ VLZBooks.com!

Do you believe audio books are the future and why do believe?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
  

My Answer: 

Audio books have been around since the 1930s, and while the technology has changed over the years, they'll never be as popular as the written word.


Linky List:

A Fun Activity Book For Kids!


Amazon

Now available in bookstores is The Berenstain Bears: Bear Country Fun Sticker & Activity Book by Jan & Mike Bernestain.

Young readers have enjoyed reading the adventures of Papa, Mama, Brother, Sister and Honey Bear for decades. The original husband & wife duo authors (Stan & Jan) have sadly both passed away, but their son Mike has continued to write and illustrate more Berenstain Bears books. The most recent books have been published by ZonderKidz under the Living Lights series; adding a religious themes to the stories.





Made for ages 4-8, the 32-page activity book comes with over 50 reusable stickers.

The activities featured are:

"Explorer Bears" Maze
"Creature Counting"
"Bear Country" Search & Find
"Bear Country" Coloring Page
"Score"Maze
"Keep the Faith" Crossword Puzzle
"Sticker Stamping"
"Happy Birthday, Brother!" Picture Matching
"Color by Number"
"Hard at Play" Sticker Stamping
"Fun in Bear County" Crossword Puzzle
"The Letter B" 
"When Is It?"

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Review - Rotten School: The Rottenest Angel


128 pages; Amazon
Yes, here I am again waiting to the last minutes of the day to write this week's Thursday ReReads post. I did read "Rotten School: The Rottenest Angel" earlier in the week, but I haven't had time to work on the review until right now.

The Rottenest Angel marks the 10th installment of the Rotten School, which the premise of the series involves the antics of a fourth-grader named Bernie Bridges as he tires to scheme his fellow classmates at the boarding school.

Bernie has the shock of his life when he finds out that a new student is going to be living in his room at the Rotten House. The new kid's name is Angel, a clean and polite young man that everyone seems to like, well, all except for Bernie.

Besides from having to give up his closet space and bed, Bernie also has to give up his friends, whom are all clinging to everything Angel does. Even Bernie's pets, Gassy (a bulldog) and Lippy (a parrot) like Angel more than him.

To get his life back to normal, Bernie must come up with the ultimate scheme to get rid of Angel for good.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

DanceCrazy Muscle Massage Roller Ball DVD Review



DanceCrazy, the creators of all those how to dance DVDs, now has out a Muscle Massage Roller Ball workout DVD, which uses their Deep Tissue Trigger Point Muscle & Massage Premium Roller Ball; though any type of massage ball would work just fine.


Muscle Massage Roller Ball starts out with a short introduction and quickly followed by a dynamic warm up, which the latter is basically just stretching like you do before any other workout.

The rest of the workout DVD is divided into sections/chapters, though you can play it straight through if you wanted to. In these sections, you'll learn how to massage your lower legs, quadriceps, upper traps, calves, hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors and psoas muscles with the massage roller ball.


Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Review - An Amish Year by Beth Wiseman


$12.99; 400 pages
Right before Christmas, I had signed up to review An Amish Year through BookLook Bloggers. Maybe it was because of the holidays or something, but I didn't receive the book until February.

Written by bestselling author Beth Wiseman, An Amish Year features four novellas - Rooted in Love, A Love for Irma Rose, Patchwork Perfect, and When Christmas Comes Again.

Rooted in Love (originally published as An Amish Garden) centers on Rosemary Lantz, a young unmarried woman who practically runs her family's household. She has no plans on ever falling in love; however, things change when she starts spending more time with her ex-boyfriend Saul Petersheim. Old feelings quickly return, but her secret past might destroy her future.

Set in 1957, A Love for Irma Rose centers on (of course) Irma Rose, a young Amish woman who is being pursued Jonas Miller. Jonas has had his eye for her for years, and when he finally makes his move, he goes way too fast. Irma must decide if Jonas is the right man for her.

Patchwork Perfect centers on a widow, Eli Byler, who recently moved to Paradise Pennsylvania with his to two children to start a new life. Upon arriving, he catches the eye of two women, but his heart is for Miriam Fisher, a woman who is the complete opposite of him.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Review - The Berenstain Bears: Mother's Day Blessings


$3.99; 24 pages; Amazon
Technically, it isn't officially spring yet, so it feels a little odd writing a review for a children's book, but that's exactly what I'm doing tonight.

Released to bookstores last week from Zonderkidz is The Berenstain Bears: Mother's Day Blessings by Mike Bernestain, the son of the original authors (Stan & Jan) who have both passed away. Mike has taken over writing and illustrating new books in the series, but with a slight twist - the books now have a religious theme.

The Berenstain Bears: Mother's Day Blessings centers on Papa, Mama, Brother, Sister and Honey Bear getting ready to go church on Mother's Day. The cubs are excited because they have a special surprise for Mama and Gran this year, which they will reveal to them after church.

Along the way to church, Papa and Mama point outs various mothers, whom are all working on Mothers Day, such as Officer Marguerite, Dr. Gert Grizzly and Mrs. Ben, a farmer. The cubs learn that all mothers are special.

Popcorn & Coffee Review: Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Bake Shop & Sweet Sunshine Adventures


$14.98; 66 Minutes

First introduced as a greeting card character in 1980, Strawberry Shortcake became a huge success. Toys and other merchandise quickly followed, along with several animated specials throughout the 1980s. The character disappeared in the 1990s, but was reintroduced with a new toy line in 2002; followed by an animated feature film and a short-lived television series.

In 2010, a CGI-animated series, titled Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Bitty Adventures debuted on The Hub (now known as Discovery Family). 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has recently released two new DVD titles, Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Bake Shop & Strawberry Shortcake: Sweet Sunshine Adventures, featuring episodes from the series. Each title comes with a free Digital HD code.

Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Bake Shop features 3 episodes - "The Berry Biggest, Berry Baddest Bake-off," "The Berry Lucky Day," "A Basket Full of Blueberries." The only Special Feature is the Berry Fun Printable Recipes.

Strawberry and her pals work together in "The Berry Biggest, Berry Baddest Bake-off" to make a cupcake for Berrykin Bloom.

Huckleberry finds a good luck charm in "The Berry Lucky Day," but later learns that the charm belongs to Cherry.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Book Blog Hop: March 4th - 10th

Book Blogger Hop

Welcome to the new Book Blogger Hop!

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews!

Do you tend to read more in the winter or in the summer months?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
  

My Answer: 

It's about the same amount for review titles; though I do have more time during the winter months to get some personal reading finished (non-review titles).


Linky List:

Review - Robert P. Parker's Blackjack


G.P. Putnam's Sons; 336 pages; Amazon
The western genre is a dying breed; while there are a few new titles still being published, those books are becoming harder to find.

Now available to purchase in bookstores is Robert B. Parker's Blackjack by Robert Knott, the eighth installment in the Cole & Hitch novels.

The first book in the series, Appaloosa, by Robert B. Parker was published in 2005. The book was adapted into a film of the same name in 2008 starring Ed Harris (he also directed, produced and co-wrote the screenplay) and Viggo Mortensen. Three sequels followed - Resolution, Brimstone and Blue-Eyed Devil, with the latter being released shortly before the author's death in 2010. With approval from the Parker Estate, Robert Knott (co-writer of the Appaloosa film) took over the series in 2013 with the release of Ironhorse. Two more sequels (Bull River, The Bridge) quickly followed.


Blackjack marks the eighth installment in the series and centers on a bounty hunter arriving in Appaloosa to apprehend Boston Bill Black for the murder of Ruth Ann in Denver. Unfortunately, Black's men get the upper-hand and the bounty hunter is shot; resulting in Black going on the run with his men.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Review - Rotten School: Party Poopers


Amazon
Yeah! It's been a long day for me, so I'm just now getting around to writing this week's Thursday ReReads with my review for Rotten School: Party Poopers.

Book 9 of the R.L. Stine series finds the 4th-grader Bernie Bridges once again planning a scheme on his fellow students. This time he plans on selling flashlights and sweatshirts (which have a face of Bernie printed on them with the saying, "I Partied All Night With Bernie!") to all the students at the upcoming "The All-Nighter," the biggest party of the year.

The party is going to have a hard-boiled-egg-eating contest, a huge barbeque, a soccer game, a three-legged race across Pooper's Pond and a treasure hunt.

Sadly, there is one setback in Bernie's quest to make some cash - he has to be invited by a girl to attend the big party.

Now Bernie has to come up with a new scheme to get his crush, April-May-June, to ask him to the party, but there is another small problem - April-May-June doesn't like him.

Whom does like Bernie Bridges?

Well, that would be Jennifer Ecch (otherwise known as "Nightmare Girl"), the biggest and tallest Rotten School student, who just happens to have a crush on Bernie. However, Bernie want to avoid her at all costs.

Final Thoughts: At 111 pages this was a quick read (reread) for me this afternoon. The plot is just a really big scheme for Bernie to land a date, so he can go to the "The All-Nighter" and sell his cheap sweatshirts and pocket flashlights. Overall, Rotten School: Party Pooper is a hilarious read with plenty of jokes to get young readers entertained.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Winter Reads: Cold Shot by Dani Pettery


Enter the COLD SHOT Sweepstakes from Author Dani Pettrey

Bethany House Publishing
About the Book: In college, Griffin McCray and his four best friends had their lives planned out. Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore PD. Declan Gray would head to the FBI, and Parker Mitchell would go on to graduate school as a crime scene analyst. But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world–and friendships–crumbled. 

 Now Griffin is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet–until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern–a young social justice lawyer missing since spring–and all evidence points to the work of an expert sniper. 

When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he’ll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he–and those he cares about–are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.

Billy's Thoughts: Dani Pettrey is one of my new favorite authors. You might recall me reviewing her Alaskan Courage books over the last few years; so naturally I was excited to be part of the blog tour for her newest novel Cold Shot, book one in the Chesapeake Valor series. 

I received my ebook copy only a few days before the review had to be published, so I had to have a few late night reading sessions and several cups of coffee to get this book read.

Three Health Strategies That Can Help Optimize Your Level Of Wellness


 





Although many people want to look and feel their best, most of us don't. This is unfortunate because being healthy is an important key that enables one to lead a productive, positive life. Luckily, there are several health strategies you can begin implementing now to start optimizing your level of wellness. Here are three of them:





1. Get Rid Of All Diseases.

Most people have at least one disease that compromises their level of wellness. Whether major or minor, the disease needs to be identified and eliminated. You can get the identification process started by obtaining a testing kit from online organizations such as Diagnostic Automation/Cortez Diagnostics, Inc. Companies like this offer a wide range of testing kits, including but not limited to:

tumor marker test
anemia ELISA kits
autoimmune disease kits
cancer ELISA kits

2. Optimize Your Diet.

Optimizing your diet is a wonderful way to take your health to a new level. This is the case for several reasons, including the fact that eating healthy food helps stabilize mood, improve blood

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Blu-ray Review - Strike Back: CINEMAX® Season 4



Arriving today on Blu-ray with Digital HD Strike Back: Season Four, the final season of the CINEMAX® action series. The 3-Disc set includes all 10 episodes. Bonus Features include 4 Production Recon Featurettes and 6 "How To Strike Back" Featurettes.

Based on the novel of the same name by Chris Ryan, Strike Back was originally a six-part British series that aired on Sky 1 in 2010 and starred Richard Armitage (The Hobbit trilogy) and Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead). Many changes occurred when a second series (season) was ordered. CINEMAX® would team up with Sky 1 as a co-producer; which would air the second series as season one in the United States. Actor Richard Armitage couldn't return due to his commit to The Hobbit trilogy, so he only had a cameo in "Episode 1."

Review - Lots of Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids


Buy Link: Amazon
Knock, knock. Who’s there?

Don’t get so excited, it’s just a joke.

Knock, knock. Who’s there?

Anita to borrow a pencil.

Nobody really knows who invented the first the knock-knock joke; though some people say the first one occurred in the second act of Shakespeare's Macbeth (around 1606). Nevertheless, knock-knock jokes have always been popular with kids. 

Now available in paperback from ZonderKidz is Lots of Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids by Whee Winn, featuring over 250 jokes.

The 126-page book is separated by seven chapters/sections - Name Jokes, Place Jokes, Holiday Jokes, Food Jokes, Animal Jokes, Object Jokes, and Bonus Jokes and Riddles.