Daphne and the Mysterious Girls Secret Bathroom Society Review

TITLE: Daphne and the Mysterious Girls Secret Bathroom SocietyAUTHOR: Robert ShieldsPUBLISHER: Fruitbat Books  PUBLICATION DATE: 12/19/2011PAGES: 164

MY RATING:

SUMMARY (FROM GOODREADS): Following years of persecution at the hands of Vivica Vance, Daphne Downing levels the playing field wielding her No. 2 Ticonderoga pencil as she belatedly enters the world of witchcraft. Daphne becomes part of the Mysterious Girls’ Secret Bathroom Society and finds out that the politics governing witchcraft are daunting and sometimes deadly. She realizes she is aligned with the Charmers in this political battle with the Spiters led by her nemesis, Vivica. Along the way, she discovers that witches do not perform magic or witchcraft but a differentiated form of physics that only some women have mastered. The story deepens as she learns about the long history of witches’ domination and annihilation of wizards.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I really love the ideas and concepts behind the book. Magic and witchcraft is described in a way that I have never heard before, which was a nice change. I particularly like the idea behind who gets to be witches and why some people aren't.

I feel like the story could have been done better. There were parts that I would zone out during, particularly the history part where Daphne was reading the magic book, but that could have been due to my lack of interest in history.

To me the story had a middle grade feel to it, but there are some instances of bad language, so this one may be more appropriate for older middle grade children, around 12 or 13.

CHARACTERS: I would have liked to see more of the development between the main character, Daphne, and her crush, Kyle, but I feel that this might occur in future books in the series.

My favorite character in the book was Amanda, Daphne's sister. I just liked her personality, she seemed like someone that I would enjoy hanging out with.

COVER: I'm not a fan of the cover. This is definitely not a cover that would catch my eye and make me want to pick up this book over others.

*I received an ebook copy of this book from the author for review.

In My Mailbox #17

My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Won from Once Upon a Twilight (Thank you so much!):

Bright Starts Ultimate Baby Shower Giveaway!

Welcome to the Bright Starts Ultimate Baby Shower Giveaway!

Bright Starts and Mom to Bed by 8, the Iowa-Mom have teamed to offer an amazing Bright Starts Sunnyside Safari Collection giveaway to one lucky reader!

This includes the Sunnyside Safari™ Chair Top High Chair, Playard, Plug in Sway & Swing, Portable Swing and Saucer making this truly the Ultimate Baby Shower Gift.

Special thank you to the wonderful bloggers who made this possible including our co-hosts: To Sew with Love, The Lucky Ladybug and Mom Blog Society.

These products are so cute and would make a wonderful addition for anyone who is going to be bringing a new baby into the picture!

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Take a walk on the sunny side-where baby gear goes together in delightful new ways. It's a win for infants and parents alike, with irresistable jungle characters adorning an array of fun coordinated products you'll use every day. Each piece of the collection does its job charmingly, with non-stop fun at an unbeatable value.

The Bright Starts Sunnyside Collection is available at Wal-Mart!

 
Sunnyside Safari™ Chair Top High Chair
A good high chair is a must for moms, and Bright Starts™ Sunnyside Safari™ Chair Top High Chair is as good as they come! It does what a full-sized model does and more, adjusting to four different heights (and nearly any table), reclining to three positions, and converting to a booster seat for smooth transition to the toddler years.
The reversible seat pad is made of stain-resistant fabric you can wipe clean or machine-wash. The removable Stay Level Tray™ remains flat even when the seat is reclining. All this, plus the friendly characters of the Sunnyside Safari™ Collection. Make mealtime and snack time more enjoyable for baby and you. Start the fun with Bright Starts!™

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• Convenient 2 piece reversible seat pad is made of stain resistant fabric that is wipeable and machine washable
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Sunnyside Safari™ Playard
A bright, sunny place for baby to rest, play, get a quick diaper change and spend a few moments with some friendly jungle pals! That's the Bright Starts™ Sunnyside Safari™ Playard. This playard includes a removable bassinet with our time-saving One Less Step™ feature for easy fold-and-go mobility.
There's a convenient changing table, a handy side storage pocket, easy-roll wheels, a travel bag, plus a colorful toy bar to delight baby. And like all Bright Starts™ products, this playard is an unbeatable value. Part of our coordinated Sunnyside Safari™ Collection. Start the fun with Bright Starts!™

Product Features:

• Removable bassinet with One Less Step™ to quickly fold and go
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• Includes travel bag

 
Sunnyside Safari™ Plug in Sway & Swing™
Some swings go back and forth. Some go side to side. This one does both—and does it with music, toys, and delightful jungle style. With a seat designed for 180° rotation, allowing three swing directions, the Bright Starts™ Sunnyside Safari™ Plug in Sway & Swing™ uses our unique TrueSpeed™ technology to sense baby's weight and adjust for consistent speed—so it grows along with baby.
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Product Features:

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• 5 point harness
• Machine washable seat pad
• Non-slip feet

 
Sunnyside Safari™ Portable Swing
Find baby's favorite speed with this innovative portable swing. The Bright Starts™ Sunnyside Safari™ Portable Swing is a win for parents and babies—from its machine-washable padded seat right down to its bright yellow, non-slip feet. With six distinct speeds to choose from, you'll find it easy to suit your little one's mood—and our patented TrueSpeed™ technology keeps those speeds consistent even as baby grows.
The Comfort Recline™ seat gives you a choice of two positions, and WhisperQuiet™ operation makes this swing silent in use. Wrap it all up in the super-fun animal decor and you've got a perfect travel companion. Part of Bright Starts™’ Sunnyside Safari™ Collection. Start the fun with Bright Starts!™

Features:

• TrueSpeed™ Technology maintains 6 speeds as baby grows
• Comfort Recline™ seat with 2 positions
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• 5 point harness
• Machine washable seat pad
• Non-slip feet

 
Sunnyside Safari™ Saucer
This is where babies go for serious fun. A Walmart exclusive, the 7-activity Bright Starts™ Sunnyside Safari™ Saucer offers entertainment options galore—and a lighthearted jungle theme with fun characters you'll adore.
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Product Features:

• 3 adjustable height positions allows entertainer to grow with baby
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• 4 link loops for attaching more toys
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Giveaway starts on May 7 at 12:01AM and ends May 28 at 11:59PM. Open to the US residents only; must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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In My Mailbox #16

My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Bought:


For Review:

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores

Hi everyone. I came across this book in an e-mail from Shelf Awareness Pro and I just had to share it with everyone. I've never heard of it before but I think it sounds like a very interesting book! Check it out and tell me what you think! Will you be reading it?

 

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores

Jen Campbell

Girl Meets Boy Review

 

TITLE: Girl Meets BoyEDITED BY: Kelly Milner HallsPUBLISHER: Chronicle Books PUBLICATION DATE: 12/28/2011PAGES: 193MY RATING: 

 INSIDE COVER BLURB: Twelve of the most dynamic and engaging YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of he said/she said stories-he tells it from the guy's point of view, she tells it from the girl's. Stories of love and heartbreak, like the good-looking jock who falls for a dangerous girl and the flipside of the toxic girl who never learns to be loved; a basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boy she never knew she wanted; and a gay boy looking for love online and the girl who could help make it happen, teach us that relationships become complicated because there are two sides to every story.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I was disappointed by this book. I was really hoping that this book was going to be filled with cutesy puppy love type stories, but most of the stories did not fit this at all. I felt like some of the stories didn't connect with each other and I just didn't really enjoy reading this one.

It wasn't all bad though; the third set of stories was my favorite ('Want to Meet' and 'Meeting for Real'). I fell for both characters and the endings were sweet. The last story was also enjoyable. I got sucked in by the quick back and forth of the point-of-views.

CHARACTERS: Except for the characters in the third set of stories, I just didn't really connect with any other characters. I feel like they were all pretty boring and I didn't really care about them.

COVER: The cover is great! I love the way they are sitting in the tree.

*I received a finished copy of this book from Amazon Vine for a review. 

Free Sign Ups for Xbox Kinect Bundle Giveaway Event

Techy Tribe and Mom to Bed by 8 is proud to present the Techy Summer Xbox Kinect Bundle Event from July 8 to July 22. This is a free blogger event and accepting signups now.

Join the Techy Summer Xbox Kinect Bundle Giveaway event today, grow your readership and offer a gamers must have giveaway!

• If you do not wish to post the announcement, send the $5 via paypal to goodnightmommyboutique@gmail.com with your email address and Techy Summer Xbox Event in subject line or notes portion of the form.
• Once you have posted your announcement or sent the paypal payment, fill out this form.
• You will receive an email from me with 7 days, confirming your participation. If you do not, please email me at teri@momtobedby8.com and I will check into it for you.
• Then around July 5th you will receive another email from me with the html code for publishing the giveaway.  Note it is required that you publish the giveaway html in full to be included in this event. I will verify links on July 22^st around 8am central and if you have not done so, your link on the rafflecopter will be removed. This keeps this event fair for all who joins.

*When you fill out the sign up form be sure to let them know that Squiggles Reviews referred you!