Book Review

So I was trying to think of some catchy play-on-words title for this post, but then realized that I am just setting myself up for failure in the future and making my standards way to high when I review any other book. Soooooo....simple is better.

Anyways, Merry Christmas and a Happy soon-to-be New Year to you all! I hope you all got some fabulous gifts and are enjoying my favorite time of year!

Yesterday I finished reading a book by A.G. Howard. One of my fabulous presents!

Splintered was a book that I have had on my must read list for almost a year now. I love the cover art and so I went ahead and asked for the actual book instead of the kindle version.

Despite the convenience of the kindle and all the awesome indie writers I have been able to read because of the easy downloadable books, I still love a real book in my hands.

Plus, they make my wall-to-wall bookshelves in my T.V. room look amazing.

Anyways, A.G. Howard writes a great alternate version to the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland. Except Howard's version takes places years after Alice escaped the Red Queens death trap and follows 17 year old Alyssa Gardner who is an ancestor of Alice and is doomed to face the same insanity that has taken the minds of her family ever since Alice escaped.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I will do my best to hit the main points of this book.

Things that make this book awesome and worth the read:
1. Wonderland is unique in the story. Much darker and twisted than the original.
2. Alyssa can hear the voices of bugs and plants.
3. The story line keeps you on your toes. Seriously. Even in the duller moments (which are few) I needed to keep reading just to figure out what the heck was happening.
4. Jeb. Don't you just get all giddy inside when a boy risks his life for you? Nuff said.
5. Morpheus. Couldn't get a read on this guy until the last few pages.

Things that make this book not so awesome:
1....

Yeah. I got nothing for this list. I would however, be careful if you are under the age of fourteen. Things get a little intense in a few spots and since I am a mom and a teacher, I would feel horrible if I didn't give a fair warning in that area.

The author was intensely original and for that reason alone (if not for the 5 I listed above), I will be purchasing the second in the series which comes out in just  few short weeks. Yay!

All the Voices in my Head

Found this pin and had to smile.

Countdown to Christmas

December is my favorite month! And not just because its my birthday month! This last week, even though it has been cold, I have loved. loved. loved the weather!

I know I have mentioned this before but everything is so much more fun with a cup of coffee in hand.

I am also more inclined to complete a few projects.

With Christmas break looming in the very near future, I am reminded of one of the reasons beside working with kids all day, that I chose to become a kindergarten teacher. 3 weeks of reading/writing/crafting/family time bliss!!

That's right. You heard me.

Three.

Weeks.

Three weeks of payed break is better than amazing. I am already on countdown and trying not to pack each day with something because I want to relax. But then again, that was my plan for Thanksgiving break and somehow I ended up doing three major projects. And by projects, I mean hunting down things I can add to my house without costing a fortune.

 This was our entertainment center.

Pretty. But way too small for the ginormous wall space. Plus, all the millions of wires hung out the side and we tried to cover them with a miss-match piece we used to have in another room. In short, I really didn't like it. But a huge 72 inch entertainment center was going to run about $400 on a good day.

Then one Friday night we swung by a local thrift shop. They were having a managers 50% off sale!

I know!

We found this for under $50.

Add some paint and new knobs and now I have a fantastic entertainment center. Seriously. We don't even turn on the television anymore. We just sit and stare at our new furniture.

I also painted an old dresser given to us for my daughter! It turned out pretty cute and we just recently added the knobs!

So for Christmas break I am on the hunt for two new nightstands and some lamps! And then I can read and write late into the night in my cozy bed where I don't freak myself out quite as much because there are less windows than the living room. Which reminds me, have you read Alice in Zombieland yet? If you haven't, I recommend it. The author is hilarious!