Book Review · Books

September 11th, 2001 The Day The World Changed Forever

It’s a day no one can ever forget. It was a regular day until it wasn’t. It splashed on the TV on repeat. The images on our TV seared into our brains, never to be removed. Two planes fly right into the Twin Towers. Buildings that appear sleek, tall, majestic, part of the NY city skyline. I’ve personally never seen them in person, but from images you can see their grandness. These tall towers couldn’t take it and they fell like stones. Almost 3,000 lives were lost. People who went to work there or people visiting gone in mere moments.

The aftermath of this horror spawned a war against the terror that was inflicted on America that day. What would it be like to be in a different country looking from the outside? When you’ve heard your own country’s view on a life alerting event it’s refreshing to hear how the same event is seen from a different perspective. This graphic novel is from the viewpoint of a French woman who was just a young teen when September 11th happened. This is her story of how this event affected her and the events that occurred after to her own country.

This graphic novel is thorough in going over the events of September 11th, the war that happened after and the other life changes that occurred because of this act of terrorism. It’s been over 20 years since that day. This book is a great recap. The artwork is modern and brings it to life. This topic is important and it’s something we never want to forget, but it’s definitely for a more mature audience. I wouldn’t recommend it for elementary school age. I believe it would be a good conversation piece for older junior highers and definitely high schoolers.

I received my complimentary digital copy of September 11th, 2001 The Day The World Changed by Baptiste Bouthier and Illustrated by Héloise Chochois from Europe Comics, care of NetGalley. The views are mine and my own choice. If you want to grab a graphic novel that makes reading about history not boring, encourages a discussion and an important read, then I’d grab a copy later this summer.

Book Review · Books

Born In Lockdown

All of us can relate to how 2020 changed our lives. The good, the bad, the pure evil. This collection of poetry is powerful, insightful, gut wrenching, challenging and hopeful. If you enjoy poetry you just may fall for this collection. Each poem is unique and opens us up more to how this world event has altered our lives. No matter which aspect spoke to you: masks, social distancing, hand sanitizer, lockdown, hospitals, tests, death, recovery, getting the jab, etc you will find something that will resonate with you.

This poetry collection inspires me to continue writing my own poetry. Yes, the main topic is not a pleasant one, but it seems most of the time that poetry is birthed out of hardship. Yes, romantic, cute poems exist, but we usually gorge ourselves on the more dramatic, sad, weepy lines.

I received my complimentary digital copy of Born In Lockdown by Tolu A. Akinyemi from BooksGoSocial, care of NetGalley. The views are mine and my own choice. I don’t usually read poetry, but this is an author I’m going to keep an eye out on for any new content. I definitely want to read his other works. Thank you NetGalley for helping me discover a new favorite author.

Book Review · Books

Gods And Goddesses Of Ancient Egypt

I’ll confess I don’t know much about Egyptian myths, gods or goddesses, so when I saw this book available to check out for my blog, I figured why not? If you are like me and are looking for a book on the basics and easy to understand then you’ll want to get a copy of Gods And Goddesses Of Ancient Egypt.

This short book for kids has colorful artwork to depict the different gods and goddesses. Important words are in bold, so that you can locate them in the glossary provided at the back of the book. This book is categorized under juvenile, but I think a lot of the stories in it are for more mature kids instead of elementary age.

I received my complimentary copy of Gods And Goddesses Of Ancient Egypt by Morgan E. Moroney from Rockridge Press, care of Callisto Publisher’s Club. The views are mine and of my own choice. After finishing this book I’ve determined this topic isn’t for me personally, but may interest someone researching Egypt, their religions or someone a fan of a country’s myth history.

Book Review · Books

The Story Of Harriet Tubman

I know some basics about Harriet Tubman, but if you are looking for little intro biography on her, then I recommend picking up a copy of, The Story Of Harriet Tubman. This short biography gives a nice overview of Harriet’s life from birth to death. I had no idea her family nickname for her was Minty, but once she escaped to freedom she changed her name to Harriet. I never knew she was married prior to helping with the Underground Railroad, but then down the line her husband remarried since he didn’t leave with her, so she ended up remarrying. In Harriet’s later years she opened up a home for the elderly and poor. This book brought her to life in a fascinating way.

This book features Jump In The Think Tank, a side blurb that gives you a topic within the story to think about regarding your own life and how you may be able to relate to Harriet. Also, has the When feature which provides a timeline of events to see where you are at in the story. There is also, a Myth & Fact section to help you determine what is true. I like that bigger vocabulary words are bolded and of course there’s a nice glossary at the back to help know what those words mean.

I received my complimentary copy of The Story Of Harriet Tubman by Christine Platt from Rockridge Press, care of Callisto Publisher’s Club. The views are mine and of my own choice. This Biography for young readers inspires me to go read an in-depth biography of Harriet Tubman.

Book Review · Books · Uncategorized

Christmas: A Biography

If you want to find out the behind the scenes history of Christmas, then Christmas: A Biography will give you an in-depth summary in condensed volume. I’ve researched the history behind the beloved holiday and this book sheds light on so many other topics including : how Santa Clause came to be, when wrapping presents became a thing, how much does religion really have to do with this holiday and how the holiday has morphed over time.

I received this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for my review. When I saw a finished copy I grabbed it from the library. If you enjoy history and holidays this book may be the perfect combo. This book didn’t personally grab my attention right away, but I came away from reading it much more educated on the background of Christmas.

Book Review · Books

The Landscapes Of Anne Of Green Gables

img_2107.jpgWho can’t resist reading about one of your all time favorite places even if you have yet to actually visit? In second grade I got to watch, “Anne of Green Gables,” the Kevin Sullivan production. It was breathtaking and Megan Follows will forever be Anne to me. I have watched the new version on Netflix. I was very negative about there being a new one. I chanced and watched it. It’s easily as fantastic as the previous mini series, possibly even better. Gasp. Very sacreligious I know. When this title became a possible ARC I’d be alllwed to read I jumped at my opportunity.

This lovely book takes the reader on a visual delight of the many wonders of Prince Edward Island. The photos show the island at different seasons. This book also, talks about the author of Anne Of Green Gables,  Lucy Maude Montomgery otherwise known as L.M. Montgomery. If you like reading about your favorite author’s life then this book will leave you craving to read more about her. There are photos throughout of her and also, places on the island that inspired her novels.

If you are a big fan of Anne of Green Gables then this book will be a keeper once it comes out. The photos made me want to book my trip right away. It also, inspires one to want to learn more about L.M. Montgomery. I was provided this ARC for free via NetGalley in exchange for my review. Thank you NetGalley and Timber Press.