Christmas in July: Miss Kane's Christmas

With Christmas only three days away, Carol Claus agrees to her father’s request that she leave the North Pole on a mission to help save Christmas. Joining single father Ben Hanson and his children for the holidays seems an easy enough task until Santa informs her that Ben is the man behind the disturbing new book ‘Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children about Santa Claus is a Bad Idea’.

Posing as Miss Kane, the children’s new nanny, Carol pulls out all the stops to show Ben how fun Christmas can be, all the while struggling to understand how one man could hate the holidays so much. How could she, Santa’s only daughter, be so attracted to a man who refuses to believe her father exists?

Goodreads

High Summer Readathon 2017 Wrap-up

The High Summer Readathon was hosted by Seasons of Reading. It ran from July 17th to July 30th, and boy...It flew by!

I thought I was going to finish more books than I did since it was a two week readathon, but my personal life was too distracting. I really need to have this sign posted every time I read:

Review: Parent Teacher Association by Jennifer Soosar

This review is for an ARC copy from the author.

Thank you to Wendy from Wall-to-Wall Books for introducing me to this book!

A small town with a bad reputation. A troubled new teacher. An aggressive mother with a bizarre agenda. Welcome to Splinter Wood, Pennsylvania.Fresh out of a mental hospital, Lizanne Demeter is thrilled to get a second chance at her career when she's hired to teach third grade in the backwater town of Splinter Wood, Pennsylvania. But hopes for a peaceful new life are ruined when Naomi Seabrook, a demanding ‘helicopter mom’, pushes Lizanne to the brink.

While struggling to maintain control of her classroom, Lizanne begins to unravel the secret behind Naomi’s hell-bent agenda. As deadly clues emerge, Lizanne suspects Naomi is guilty of more than just overindulging her child.With her life teetering on chaos, Lizanne risks everything to expose the shocking truth. But first, she must race against her own spiraling sanity to prove herself a more dedicated teacher than anyone dared imagine—the kind of teacher who makes ALL the difference.

Amazon  •  Black Opal Books  •  Smashwords  • Barnes & Noble • Kobo • iTunes • Scribd

Book dress

So last week, something special arrived. I ordered a dress from Amazon as a gift for myself in becoming a teacher. I did not realize how excited I was until I got the package.

After ripping apart the packing, there was this cute box:

I knew I had to take a picture of it because it was adorable. 

Audiobook: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Read by John Ritter
Duration: 4 hours and 24 minutes

Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first.

Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love.

Goodreads

Library Love: Frida Kahlo (Libro en Espanol)

Frida Kahlo: Una Biografía por María Hesse

*This post contains both Spanish and English (after the first) reviews. Book blurb will be in Spanish only.*

Inspirado en las vivencias de la iconica pintora mexicana, Frida Kahlo, este libro ofrece un hermoso paseo ilustrado por su vida y su obra.
Frida fue algo mas que dolor y angustia. Quiso ser fiel a su arrolladora personalidad y se convirtio en una artista llena de vida. Su pintura es fiesta, color, sangre y vida. Fue una luchadora que decidio ponerse el mundo por montera y una mujer apasionada que no se conformo con estar a la sombra de su gran amor, el pintor Diego Rivera. Frida decidio vivir con intensidad, tanto las desgracias como las alegrias que le deparo la existencia. 

"Pies, para que los quiero si tengo alas para volar."

Goodreads 

#ShelfLove: The Name of this Book is Secret

Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn't want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret.

Goodreads

My Thoughts: Shhh!!! I can't say much about this book because it's a secret! Just kidding. I would share my thoughts on this children's book without revealing too much about the plot or characters.

#ShelfLove: The Mask

He travels only at night, shrouded by darkness, his visage shielded by a leather mask. After 11 years, Galen Tarrant, Lord of Rosenthorn, rides back from the Crusades to reclaim his lands, only to stumble upon the most beautiful creature he has ever seen. In her arms he feels complete, but cannot allow himself to take her innocence when the demons of his past threaten to destroy everything he touches.

Goodreads

My Thoughts: I've had this book for many, many years in my shelves. I was so happy to finally get started on this! I remember getting this book because it was Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast themed, and I love both stories! I was looking forward to reading this book but unfortunately, it was not as great as I thought.

Little Free Library Adventures #6

Hello readers!

I was in the Santa Ana area and saw that there were seven LFLs. I was hoping to find all of them but, unfortunately, I was only able to visit two because I began to have car problems. But that's okay. I know that I can always go back and try to find the rest on a different day. 

These are the two libraries that I visited:

Santa Ana

High Summer Readathon 2017 Sign-up

Yay! It's time to join a readathon!!!!

The High Summer Readathon is hosted by Seasons of Reading. It runs from July 17th to July 30th. I enjoy the readathons from Seasons of Reading because they are low key. The whole point is to read for fun and at your own pace. You can read more of the official guidelines on the Seasons of Reading blog.

Library Bar in Los Angeles

Finally!!!! I have finally visited this awesome bar! I've been wanting to go ever since it opened a couple of years ago. My good co-worker friend took me here to celebrate my success in getting my teaching credential and obtaining a teaching job. I was super excited to be celebrating in this place!