Crack Yourself Up Jokes for Kids ~ Review

Crack Yourself Up
Jokes for Kids
By Sandy Silverthorne

Kids of all age love telling jokes but finding good clean joke books can be a challenge. Well have no fear Crack Yourself Up Jokes for Kids is here to feed your joke telling hobby. This book is a mix of jokes, knock-knocks, and silly stories that may or may not make you laugh but you'll be sure to roll your eyes a time or two. With a scattering of illustrations to add to the book, kids will be sure get in a few giggles while sharing the hilarity with those around them.

Some jokes are standards one would expect in any joke book such as the "How do you keep a blank from charging?" "Take away his credit card." While others are a bit more unique such as Q: What did the elevator say to the other elevator? A: I think I'm coming down with something. And then there are reverse jokes which give the answer before the question which could result in some outrageous hilarity as others try to come up with the correct question. 

There are 138 pages with 130 pages for the jokes and the book is small enough to take with you almost everywhere - though I wouldn't recommend taking it into the tub as it has an aversion to water, though there is a joke about Noah's ark and one about the ocean.

Recommended for kids 6 - 12 years of age though, in my opinion, other age will enjoy the jokes as well. This book would be a great way to get a party off to a great start with an air of jocularity that can break up any awkwardness.

I was provided a complimentary copy by Revell with no expectations but my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.


About the Book:

Why are dogs such bad dancers? 

They have two left feet.

Knock, knock. 

Who's there? 

Alex. 

Alex who? 

Alex the questions around here.

What's red and goes up and down? 

A tomato in an elevator.

Any kid can be a comedian with a little help from Crack Yourself Up Jokes for Kids. This zany collection of one-liners, knock-knock jokes, riddles, puns, funny lists, and hilarious illustrations promises hours of fun. Just be careful. These are the kinds of laughs that make milk come out your nose--so don't drink and read!

Perfect for kids ages 6-12.

A Defense of Honor ~ Review

A Defense of Honor
Haven Manor #1
By Kristi Ann Hunter

Katherine FitzGilbert has turned her back on London society after being caught up in a scandal - one that ruined her reputation and that of a dear friend. What started out as an errand of mercy to the unwanted and castoff children of society has turned into a mission of vengeance. And this time Kit finds herself in trouble having to hide within the very society that she has scorned. Unfortunately, her hiding place doesn't hide her from the all too bored eyes of Lord Wharton (aka Graham). Intrigued by the glimpse of a woman hiding in the foliage at the edges of the ballroom he meets a mysterious woman who disappears as quickly as she darted in.

Kit has a secret that she is determined none shall uncover - she is The Governess. A title that strikes fear into the hearts of gentlemen who allow themselves to ruin the reputations of young ladies. And The Governess makes them pay for their children that she cares for.

But someone is seeking The Governess threatening all that Kit and those aiding her have created in an abandoned estate in a small village that no one pays any mind to. When Graham unexpectedly shows up Kit fears that he may discover what they are hiding and reveal what he learns. But the children touch his heart and his short stay offers the children a break from the tedium of their life bringing laughter to their home.

Seeking to help a friend Graham never expected to see the mysterious woman from the ball when they set out to find his young sister. But an unguarded comment set him off leading him to Haven Manor and leaving him with questions - questions that could answer the one that he seeks "Where was Priscilla?"

When confronted about her lack of trust in God to provide for the children and her need to exact vengeance Kit is left in turmoil. Could she have been wrong all these years? Should she have given the fathers from whom she has been collecting financial support the opportunity to do the right thing by their children? 

A Defense of Honor is an interesting look at London Society and what the consequences to those who fall prey to their passions and their children must endure. A firstborn son who will never inherit. A daughter who will never have a season. Children whose only future is one of labor and not one of society. I really liked Graham and his friend Aaron Whitworth, who was one of society's castoff children who was known to his father and supported but not accepted by society.  Fans of Kristi's Hawthorne House series should enjoy this one too.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher via their blogger program with no expectation but an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book:
When Katherine "Kit" FitzGilbert turned her back on London society more than a decade ago, she determined never to set foot in a ballroom again. But when business takes her to London and she's forced to run for her life, she stumbles upon not only a glamorous ballroom but also Graham, Lord Wharton. What should have been a chance encounter becomes much more as Graham embarks on a search for his friend's missing sister and is convinced Kit knows more about the girl than she's telling.

After meeting Graham, Kit finds herself wishing things could have been different for the first time in her life, but what she wants can't matter. Long ago, she dedicated herself to helping women escape the same scorn that drove her from London and raising the innocent children caught in the crossfire. And as much as she desperately wishes to tell Graham everything, revealing the truth isn't worth putting him and everyone she loves in danger.

The Mission League series ~ Cover Reveal

The Mission League series is coming to an end. 

Today the final book cover of Jill Williamson's series is revealed.

Are you curious?

I'm sure you are.

First I'll let you in on a little secret...

The title,

after all, every book needs a name.

The Profile Match

Yes, I can see that you are intrigued.

You're wondering just what sort 

of mission Spencer Garmond

is about to get caught up in this time.

Well, wonder no more

because

here

is 

the 

book

synopsis

When Spencer Garmond’s friend is kidnapped, the young Mission League agent-in-training decides he’s had enough. Determined to stop the criminals he suspects are responsible, he petitions the Los Angeles Field Office to give him the lead on the case. Now he’s investigating his favorite actress, the movie director who pretended to be his dad, and even his own uncle. Weird much?

As he struggles to find the connections between this unlikely group of suspects, he uncovers a clue that could create a worldwide scandal. When the Field Office steps in, Spencer realizes he’s not really in control of the investigation at all. Can Spencer trust God to bring about justice, or will his need to be in control jeopardize the very people he's trying so hard to protect?

Don’t miss this final installment in the award-winning Mission League series by author Jill Williamson.

Are you sufficiently intrigued?

Well 

here 

is 

the

cover.

Amazon.com pre-order page: https://amzn.to/2Ny3lEa

The ebook is on a pre-order sale for $2.99 for the month of September so don't delay.

Add the book to your Goodreads to be read list: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41570561-the-profile-match

A Light So Lovely ~ Review

A Light So Lovely

The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle, 

                        Author of A Wrinkle in Time

By Sarah Arthur

This book offers a glimpse into the life of Madeleine L'Engle a woman, who as one is about to discover, was as complex and varied as her many books. In a time when art and faith were not considered a compatible match, unable to blend without destroying one or the other Madeline presented a whole new way of writing. She gave us both blended so that neither was destroyed in the blending and both were stronger for the blending.

Believing that imagination was a God-given gift and that the offering of a story was one of the best ways to teach truth, Madeline set out on a journey that would reach well beyond her own life. Her work touched the lives of others offering them the freedom to weave the truths of faith with the creative imaginations of their minds. 

But her journey was not without its obstacles and detours as naysayers arose to protect what was from what she was offering. Faith in fiction offered in real-world or slightly fantastical settings? Who would read such rubbish?! But Madeline built upon the shoulders of those who came before her George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and made it her own. She didn't allow herself to be trapped in a single genre or age-appropriate niche rather she offered her thoughts and knowledge to any and all. Fiction? Check. Non-fiction? Check. Children? Check. Teens? Check. Adults? Check.

Was all of her work perfect? Not at all, but it is loved as a whole. I have to admit there are some of her works I'm not overly crazy about but I do have favorites that are comfort reads that I like to pick-up from time to time. Madeline's works speak differently to different readers and A Light So Lovely offers readers a chance to learn more about her life from those that she knew, worked with, and mentored over the years. With quotes from other writers, publishers, and even Madeline's own words and works we are offered a glimpse of a woman who changed the world of words forever.

One comes away from A Light So Lovely knowing that the limitations we place upon faith and art, sacred and secular, miracle and science are ones that we have placed. God is not limited by our standards rather we limit God by trying to place Him within a set of rules of our own making. We make rules of "either/or" but God gives us "both/and" and Madeline embraced this gift and shared it through her work. Altogether this is a lovely book that is worth a second reading and a sharing amongst friends.

I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher through Handlebar with no expectations but my honest opinion. All views expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time has captured the imagination of millions - from literary sensation to timeless classic and now a major motion picture starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Storm Reid, and Mindy Kaling. A Light So Lovely tells the story of the woman at the center of it all - her imagination, her faith, her pattern of defying categories, and what readers today can learn from her legacy.

Bestselling and beloved author Madeleine L'Engle, Newbery winner for A Wrinkle in Time, was known the world round for her imaginative spirit and stories. She was also known to spark controversy - too Christian for some, too unorthodox for others. Somewhere in the middle was a complex woman whose embrace of paradox has much to say to a new generation of readers today.

A Light So Lovely paints a vivid portrait of this enigmatic icon's spiritual legacy, starting with her inner world and expanding into fresh reflections of her writing for readers today. Listen in on intimate interviews with L'Engle's literary contemporaries such as Philip Yancey and Luci Shaw, L'Engle's granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis, and influential fans such as Makoto Fujimura, Nikki Grimes, and Sarah Bessey, as they reveal new layers to the woman behind the stories we know and love. A vibrant, imaginative read, this book pulls back the curtain to illuminate L'Engle's creative journey, her persevering faith, and the inspiring, often unexpected ways these two forces converged.

For anyone earnestly searching the space between sacred and secular, miracle and science, faith and art, come and find a kindred spirit and trusted guide in Madeleine - the Mrs. Whatsit to our Meg Murry - as she sparks our imagination anew.

Operation Finale ~ Movie trailer

Operation Finale is a historically based story 

that is coming to the big screen. 

Checkout all the pertinent facts and trailer. 

About: Operation Finale, brings to life one of the most daring covert operations in modern history. Starring Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler's List) and Golden Globe winner Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, X-Men: Apocalypse), the film vividly captures the ingenious and brilliantly executed mission to capture Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the Holocaust.

Fifteen years after the end of World War II, acting on irrefutable evidence, a top-secret team of Israeli agents travel to Argentina where Eichmann (Kingsley) has been in hiding together with his family under an alias Ricardo Klement and execute an extremely dangerous abduction. In attempting to sneak him out of Argentina to stand trial in Israel while being pursued by the country's right-wing forces, agent Peter Malkin (Isaac) is forced to engage Eichmann in an intense and gripping game of cat-and-mouse with life-and-death stakes. 

Operation Finale releases in theaters on August 29, 2018.

Formula of Deception

Formula of Deception
by Carrie Stuart Parks

She was looking for the truth while hiding from the threat that had been following her. Has she brought danger with her or is it just a coincidence that people around her are being murdered?

Murphy Andersen needs to discover the truth before she is the next victim...


Just the Facts:
April 1946: Secret lab destroyed by an earthquake and a tsunami on the island of Ruuwaq.

Present day: Potential cold case murders on Ruuwaq revealed.
                     Murphy Andersen hiding in Kodiak.

                   The Cast:
                     Murphy Andersen: is on a mission to Kodiak Island, Alaska, implies that she's worked
                                        as a forensic artist previously in the South.
                     Vasily Scherbakor: dying of cancer reveals a potential 10-year-old crime on Ruuwaq.
                     Dallas Andersen: the missing, presumed dead twin sister of Murphy.
                     Elin Olsson: detective with Kodiak Police Department.
                     Father Ivanov: Russian Orthodox priest runs Christ's Table for the homeless.
                     Joshua Ward: officer with the Kodiak Police Department, widowed with 4 boys.
                     Bertie Fisher: from the Alaskan State Crime Lab sent to look for evidence from the   
                                         "Cold Case". She knows Murphy's secret.
                     Myra Hampton: landlady of Murphy's basement room below her trailer.
                     Mr. Brinkley: Murphy's stray yellow cat.
                     Richard Zinkerton: technician sent by the Alaskan Bureau of Investigation to handle a
                                           double homicide, a  total jerk with attitude to spare.
                     Jack Swayne: Alaska Wildlife Trooper who flies Bertie and Murphy to Ruuwayq.
                     Denali Stewart: owner of Salmon Run Lodge offers Murphy temporary housing and a                                                 job. Proud of his family name, late 60's wheelchair-bound.
                     Quinn: Denali's black lab.
                     Lucas Taylor: Denali's 12-year-old grandson whose parents died years ago in a tragic
                                           accident.
                     Ryan Wallace: journalist writing a piece about the history of Salmon Run Lodge.
                     Butch Patterson: pilot Bertie tells Murphy to use to go back to Ruuwaq.
                     Olga: runs Salmon Lodge Run's kitchen and manages the staff.
                     Vesper Amason: Murphy helped her after her daughter was in an accident. Calls
                                           Murphy a "soul searcher". Offers assistance if ever Murphy should need it.
                     Clinton Hunter: Anchorage serial killer who is suspected of killing Murphy's sister.

Formula of Deception
By Carrie Stuart Parks

Murphy Anderson has a secret - she's not who she says she is. Yes, she is Murphy Anderson sort of but she has distanced herself from the woman she used to be. Ever since her sister was murdered - there may not have been a body but Murphy knew. With the special bond that they shared as twins she just knew. And she was in Kodiak on a mission to find her sister and hopefully find peace herself.

But when Murphy's purse and all her identification and funds are stolen she reluctantly uses her art skills to help the local PD. Ten years ago a hunter - Vasily Scherbakov went to Ruuwaq Island but what he found was not the game he sought instead, he stumbled upon the remains of five men. For tens years he has kept this terrible secret but now on his deathbed, he wishes to unburden his soul and unfortunately for Murphy, she's the person that the Kodiak PD is tasking with creating a sketch of the scene and the victims.

Shortly after this first interview, anyone related to this cold case seems to be a target for someone who is determined to keep the past firmly and completely in the past. And when it appears that her sister's killer has found her Murphy finds herself wondering whom she can trust...

Formula of Deception is an intense page turning all night read! Seriously one truly is left wondering for the vast majority of this book who would be left standing at the end. And as to the murderer - well you have to read the book to wrap your mind around this twisted web of lies and betrayals. Maybe wait a year or two to visit Kodiak if, by chance that is on your list of things to do, I think they may need to do a wee bit of rebuilding.

If you are looking for a good mix of action, suspense, and whodunit that appears to be a standalone book pick up this book and dive in! Yes, there are several murders but it is not a horrendously gruesome book - I made that mistake once and have since been picker about what I read.

I was provided a complimentary review copy of this book by the publisher through their BookLook blogger program with no expectations other than that I offer my honest review - all opinions offered are my own.                   
                   

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes and Noble | iBooks

Connect with Carrie

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About the Book:

An artist hiding from an escaped killer uncovers one of World War II’s most dangerous secrets—a secret that desperate men will do anything to keep hidden.

After the murder of her twin sister, Murphy Anderson changed her name and appearance and moved to Kodiak, Alaska, to avoid the press and publicity. But when local authorities discover she’s an artist and request her help in drawing a dying man’s memories, she unintentionally ends up in the limelight again—and back in the killer’s crosshairs.

The deathbed confessions of an Alaskan hunter have Murphy drawing the five bodies he discovered on remote Ruuwaq Island ten years ago. But what investigators find has them mystified. Evidence suggests that the bodies were deliberately destroyed, and what they uncover in an abandoned Quonset hut from World War II only brings more questions.

As one by one the investigators who were at the hut die, Murphy knows there is something much darker at stake. What happened on this island during the war? And who is willing to kill to keep its secrets buried?

Carrie Stuart Parks’ TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, August 20th: Book by Book

Tuesday, August 21st: What is That Book About – spotlight

Wednesday, August 22nd: Splashes of Joy

Thursday, August 23rd: @thecaffeinated_bibliophile

Friday, August 24th: Blooming with Books

Monday, August 27th: Cheryl’s Book Nook

Tuesday, August 28th: Empowermoms

Thursday, August 30th: Fiction Aficionado

Tuesday, September 4th: Mystery Suspense Reviews

Wednesday, September 5th: Write Read Life

Thursday, September 6th: By the Book

Friday, September 7th: All of a Kind Mom

Monday, September 10th: Jathan & Heather

Tuesday, September 11th: From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, September 12th: Christian Chick’s Thoughts

Monday, September 17th: Peppermint Ph.D.

Thursday, September 20th: View from the Birdhouse

Friday, September 21st: The Lit Bitch

As the Tide Comes In ~ Review

As the Tide Comes In
By Cindy Woodsmall
     and Erin Woodsmall

Cindy Woodsmall is known and loved for her Amish fiction but As the Tide Comes In is a vast departure from this. Tara Abbott at 18 years of age is on her own readying herself to start college. After being abandoned by her mother and going the foster home route she's going to make a life for herself. But sometimes what we plan and what is are two vastly different things. For Tara, she's about to become the guardian of her two half-brothers - brothers that she has seen only once before.

But time passes and this small group becomes the family Tara has always wanted and now both boys are about to head out on their own. With a summer adventure before them, excitement is riding high. When the boys get to St. Simons Island, Georgia, Tara plans to join them. Her brothers are convinced that Tara has roots that go back to Georgia and they are determined to help her find what she has lost.

But life is about to take another unexpected turn and Tara is left trying to piece together her life once again. But she's not about to let her brothers down and she's going to St. Simons just as they planned. When she's unable to connect with Sean and Darryl she soon finds herself in an unexpected situation and without her phone or funds, she has nowhere to go.

On St. Simon, Gavin Burnside is dealing with troubles of his own. Troubles that go back to his father's death 18 months ago. A death that left him with a looming loan payment due in just weeks. Gavin has a plan but it will take a lot of hard labor to accomplish what needs doing if he is to succeed. The last thing he needs is a troubled young woman who is lost somewhere between reality and what isn't. And to help Tara he's going to need the help of his mama and her friends the Glynn Girls - that is if they can stay out of trouble themselves.

As the Tide Comes In is an emotionally moving book as the various characters work their ways through the upheavals of their lives. When faced with change be it loss or gain how do we react? Does it wear us down?  Does it beat us back? Or do we conquer and embrace it?

Tara is an individual that most could relate to even if only in a limited way. Gavin, oh boy, poor guy having to deal with the Glynn Girls. They mean well but let's just say a little goes a long way and he's had years of them. Don't get me wrong they have a whole lot of Southern charm and they lay it on nice and thick which if you are hurting is a comforting blanket of love. But don't make them mad you won't soon forget it.

I received this book from the publisher through their book launch program all opinions expressed are my honest views.
About the Book:

From splintered roots, she built

an unexpected life. A beautiful one. 

Will an unshakable nightmare 

steal it away?

When an unthinkable loss sends Tara Abbott’s life spiraling out of control, she journeys from North Carolina to Georgia’s St. Simons Island. Although confused and scared, she hopes to find answers about her past – her life before the years of foster care and raising her two half-brothers as a young adult. 

Will she find steady ground on the island, surrounded by an eccentric-but-kindhearted group of older women called The Glynn Girls and a determined firefighter? Or will the truth splinter what’s left of her identity into pieces?