$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.

$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.

$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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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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.


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.