#BookReview | Words by Linda Ragsdale | @_AwesomeAnnie

About the Book:

The Peace Dragon series promotes peace and love among young readers and encourages them to apply those concepts every day to everything they do. 

In Words, Pax the Peace Dragon teaches children the power of words and the importance of kindness to self and others. 

Beautiful illustrations will captivate readers and the included activities will help young learners apply the concepts from the book in the classroom or at home.

#HPMOTW #WWMOTW: Would you rather have an invisibility cloak or a time turner?

So which one would you rather have? An invisibility cloak or a time turner?

#BookReview | My Dog Needs Me by Jane Cottrell | @_awesomeannie

About the Book:

My dog needs food. My dog needs water. My dog needs exercise. My dog needs me! Teach little ones the importance of caring for their precious pups with this adorable picture book title! They will enjoy learning about all the ways they can love and look after their furry friends!

#BookReview: Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

About the Book:

In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can't make a scene at your sister's wedding and break a relative's nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy.

Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it's a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl--a subspecies of dragon--who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she's tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one.

This title will be released on February 27, 2018.

#BookTour: Grilled Cheese and Dragons (Princess Pulverizer, #1) by @NancyKrulik, Ben Balistreri

About the Book:

Meet the princess who'd rather wear a suit of armor than a crown!

Princess Serena (or as she prefers, Princess Pulverizer) doesn't want to be a princess--she wants to be knight! But her father, King Alexander of Empiria, thinks she still has a lot to learn when it comes to exhibiting valiant behavior. So he presents a challenge: the princess must first go on a Quest of Kindness and perform good deeds to prove that she truly deserves to go to knight school. With help from a friendly dragon named Dribble and a perpetually terrified knight-in-training named Lucas, can she complete her quest and discover what it really takes to be a hero?

This title will be released on January 16, 2018.

#BookReview: These Vicious Masks (These Vicious Masks, #1) by @tkshanker & @kellyzekas

About the Book: England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.

#BookReview: Ivory and Bone (Ivory and Bone #1) by Julie Eshbaugh @youngadultbc ‏via @cursedreader @EndyOchita

This month's book is one that Jessica chose!  And I have to say that at this point I am kinda mad that I did.  I had so many issues with this book.  But why not join us today at 5pm at the Winter Haven Library to check out our discussion and join in!!! 

#Top10Tuesday: Ten Books We Meant To Read In 2017 But Didn't Get To

2017 wasn't a total fail for books but it could have been better! So here are 10 books we just didn't get to! 

#BookReview: The Other Way Around by Sashi Kaufman ‏via @cursedreader

About the Book:

Andrew West goes to an all-girls school and he still can’t get a date. If that’s not bad enough, his Mom is the headmaster. Everyone seems to have the wrong idea about Andrew. His teachers think he’s a good student who doesn’t apply himself -he really is trying. The kids at his old school thought he was a goth. His cousin Barry thinks he’s gay.

When his Thanksgiving break goes tragically awry he decides to run away. He catches a ride with a strange group of older teenagers. The Freegans are street performers and dumpster divers. As Andrew travels the country with his new friends he leaves behind the expectations of others and discovers what he expects of himself.

#BookRecommendations with @AdrianaMather

  The Titanic meets the delicious horror of Ransom Riggs and the sass of Mean Girls in this follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller How to Hang a Witch, in which a contemporary teen finds herself a passenger on the famous “ship of dreams”—a story made all the more fascinating because the author’s own relatives survived the doomed voyage.

Samantha Mather knew her family’s connection to the infamous Salem Witch Trials might pose obstacles to an active social life. But having survived one curse, she never thought she’d find herself at the center of a new one. 

This time, Sam is having recurring dreams about the Titanic . . . where she’s been walking the deck with first-class passengers, like her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile, in Sam’s waking life, strange missives from the Titanic have been finding their way to her, along with haunting visions of people who went down with the ship. 

Ultimately, Sam and the Descendants, along with some help from heartthrob Elijah, must unravel who is behind the spell that is drawing her ever further into the dream ship . . . and closer to sharing the same grim fate as its ghostly passengers.

#BookReview: The Sweetest Kind of Fate (Windy City Magic #2) by @CrystalCestari

About the Book:

GREAT. I’ve somehow found myself tangled up with a siren, a mermaid, and a homicidal wicked witch who once tried to strangle me to death. Way to go, Amber!

Amber Sand, legendary matchmaker, couldn’t be more surprised when her arch nemesis, Ivy, comes asking for her help. Ivy’s sister, Iris, is getting married, and Ivy wants to prove her sister is making a huge mistake. But as Amber looks into Iris's eyes, there doesn’t seem to be a problem—Iris has clearly found her match.

It seems happily ever after is in the cards, but when Iris seeks out a dangerous, life-altering spell, it’s up to Amber and Ivy to set aside their rivalry and save the day.

While Iris is willing to put everything on the line for love, Amber continues to wrestle with her own romantic future. Her boyfriend, Charlie, is still destined for another, and no matter how hard she clings to him, fear over their inevitable breakup shakes her belief system to the core.

Because the Fates are never wrong—right?

#Unboxing | @Lootcrate Dec. Wizarding World

Well I have to say that this was the first and only lootcrate we will ever get. The items in this I thought were supposed to be per each house but it was all the same. So I feel that we kind of wasted $200 getting everyone a box when all the items were the same.  The other issue is the quality of the items.  The picture frame box although cute is not made very well. We have already had screws come out of two of them where we had to glue it back together.  I really love Harry Potter but I would like quality items.  

#Unboxing | #TheBookishBox via @appraisingpages ‏| @crossroadreview

#Unboxing | #TheBookishBox via @appraisingpages ‏| @crossroadreview

This was our first box from them and I hope it wont be the last! It was so good and even though we had a slight issue it was handled very quickly. 

#BookReview: The Traitor Prince (Ravenspire #3) by @CJRedwine

About the Book:

Javan Najafai, crown prince of Akram, has spent the last ten years at an elite boarding school, far away from his kingdom. But his eagerly awaited return home is cut short when a mysterious imposter takes his place—and no one believes Javan is the true prince.

After barely escaping the imposter’s assassins, Javan is thrown into Maqbara, the kingdom’s most dangerous prison. The only way to gain an audience with the king — and reveal Javan’s identity — is to fight in Maqbara’s yearly tournament. But winning is much harder than acing competitions at school, and soon Javan finds himself beset not just by the terrifying creatures in the arena, but also a band of prisoners allied against him, and even the warden herself.

The only person who can help him is Sajda, who has been enslaved by Maqbara’s warden since she was a child, and whose guarded demeanor and powerful right hook keep the prisoners in check. Working with Sajda might be the only way Javan can escape alive — but she has dangerous secrets.

Together, Javan and Sajda have to outwit the vicious warden, outfight the deadly creatures, and outlast the murderous prisoners intent on killing Javan. If they fail, they’ll be trapped in Maqbara for good—and the secret Sajda’s been hiding will bury them both.

#BookReview: Dark Mirror (Dark Mirror #1) by Mary Jo Putney

About the Book:

At sixteen, Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life and her choice of mates worthy of her status. Then she makes a terrifying discovery that will ruin her life and disgrace her family forever. Tory's blood is tainted... by magic.

When a shocking accident forces Tory to reveal her despised skill, she is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. Tory's greatest wish is to be cured so she can return home and perhaps recover some of her shattered life.

Instead, curiosity and the lure of magic lead Tory to rebel students who have pledged their talents to protect England. As she joins them in their secret studies, she discovers her full powers - and is drawn to the handsome, enigmatic young Marquis of Allarde. But Allarde'a reserve and haunting secret keep him away, though she can see equal longing in his eyes.

Then Tory's pledge sweeps her and her friends into a perilous world of danger, challenge, and a triumph that saves Britain from conquest. Can danger also bring Tory and Allarde together, despite all that stands between them? 

#BookReview: A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller

About the Book:

Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl.
            
After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky is torn. Just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?

#StackingTheShelves 1: Here we go!!!

This year our stacking the shelves is going to be very simple.  We wanted to create a very simple post for you guys to check out. 

#BookReview: Beasts Made of Night by @TochiTrueStory

About the Book: In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts – lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt. 

Taj is the most talented of the aki, young sin-eaters indentured by the mages to slay the sin-beasts. But Taj’s livelihood comes at a terrible cost. When he kills a sin-beast, a tattoo of the beast appears on his skin while the guilt of committing the sin appears on his mind. Most aki are driven mad by the process, but 17-year-old Taj is cocky and desperate to provide for his family. 

When Taj is called to eat a sin of a royal, he’s suddenly thrust into the center of a dark conspiracy to destroy Kos. Now Taj must fight to save the princess that he loves – and his own life. 

A gritty Nigerian-influenced fantasy.

#Discussions with Crossroads and some updates!

Welcome to our first post of the year!! So what wonderful discussion will be sharing with you today? That would be some updates! Each year I love updating the site to work better than ever before! And this year is no different.  So without furthrer ado please welcome Jessica our fearless leader! 

#BookReview: Only Ever Yours by @oneilllo

About the Book: Where women are created for the pleasure of men, beauty is the first duty of every girl. In Louise O'Neill's world of Only Every Yours women are no longer born naturally, girls (called "eves") are raised in Schools and trained in the arts of pleasing men until they come of age. freida and isabel are best friends. Now, aged sixteen and in their final year, they expect to be selected as companions--wives to powerful men. All they have to do is ensure they stay in the top ten beautiful girls in their year. The alternatives--life as a concubine, or a chastity (teaching endless generations of girls)--are too horrible to contemplate.

But as the intensity of final year takes hold, the pressure to be perfect mounts. isabel starts to self-destruct, putting her beauty--her only asset--in peril. And then into this sealed female environment, the boys arrive, eager to choose a bride. freida must fight for her future--even if it means betraying the only friend, the only love, she has ever known.