Ruby Loves Adventure

From Goodreads: A resilient and quirky colony of church mice fears another Great X more than they fear cats. Under Mouse Mistress Hildegarde’s leadership, they save themselves from one danger after another—sometimes just by the skin of their tails! Can one ultimate act of bravery during the feast day of St. Francis get Father Murphy to bless these mice and keep them safe forever?

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you guys will know how much I adore animals, especially anthropomorphic animals - those that could walk, talk, and do the things that we humans normally do!
So imagine my delight when I saw that this book is available to read [and for free, I might add] via NetGalley.

So, what do I think of the story? I think it's waaaay tooo short. I wish Lois made it longer, gave the mice more adventures they could embark on, oh, the other possibilities! The story is quite straightforward, the mice are clearly unhappy about being tagged as pests, or rodents, and need to escape the great X [otherwise known as the exterminator].

I love the illustrations that were accompanying the book. With cute illustrations as these, and with characters that are just adorable, and so loveable, how could you not read this book? The supporting characters also provide bits of twists and turns here and there, and the mouse family sure knows how to work together to achieve a common goal. The narrative is beautifully written, and is appropriate for the young adult crowd. Wording is excellent too. This book is definitely different from the other Lowry book I read before ["The Giver"] but nevertheless, her transition has been excellent.




Available From: everywhere [starting March 21, 2011]!
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Book was: an ARC via NetGalley
Rating: Very Good! [4/5]

The book is divided into four parts: the first is an introduction to what the species is, the second on where it originated, the third on the cat behaviour and the fourth on what to do when you [or your parents] decide to get a cat for yourself.

This is quite informative, however, given that the target market is for children, seems to me that it is marketed to "convince" children to "convince" their parents to get them this cat breed. However, one must always be aware that getting pets is a responsibility, and if your pets don't behave as you expected, you have to deal with it and love it as your own.

What I like in the book is how the information has been presented. It was very clear and straight to the point. The pictures are okay too, the cat is cute, with its huge, blue eyes and fluffy fur!

Published: 2011

Available From: Amazon
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group
Book was: an ARC from NetGalley
Rating: It's okay, informative, photos are cute. [3/5]

Chrissie's Shell is a story about Chrissie, a turtle. She is living in a forest, and on her daily life, she encounters numerous critters and imagines what it would be like to be that type of animal. While she does that, she checks her shell to see if she managed to transform in the animal she was imagining about.

The illustrations are some of the cutest things ever. And as you know, I have a bias for all things animals, and all things cute so plus, plus for me. Those sympathetic round us totally do me in! Awww. I could easily go back to all the pages, even without reading the text, just looking at the pictures! Oh yes, it definitely brought me back to my childhood.

The colouring is brilliant they are very accurate with nature, and so eye-popping!

The story is good too. It shows how Chrissie was struggling to come to terms with her real self. The part that moved me the most was when Chrissie was talking to God about how he could make her into a real someone, and how she said her shell was empty and could she make her into some of the other creatures she had seen. Little did she knows that she is one unique creature, with her own traits and advantages in nature.

What I love is that this book teaches children to be comfortable in their own shell - in their own skin, so to speak. Of course there are times when we people would feel insecure about what we have and normally compare it with the others who may appear more blessed or lucky or superior than us, but each of us is unique, and I love this lesson. Children should learn this early on and not get on the bandwagon of the plasticity of everything. Sometimes you just need to look in yourself to find out what's perfect, and what you are, and that you're beautiful inside.

Published: 2010
Available From: Everywhere! Locally, I'm not sure though.
Publisher: Warner Press
Book was: an ARC from NetGalley
Rating: Such a cute book. I loved the illustrations! [5/5]

wBased on the novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, it tells of an alien little prince, who explores various planets across the universe and eventually lands himself on Earth. He meets all sorts of people and creatures along the way, and discovers more about their traits and their quirks, so to say.

Can I just say I ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS BOOK?
I started this back in 2010, when I was quite busy with getting ready for Christmas and parties. And yet, when I was reading it, it made no impact whatsoever. But as I was finishing the book, I was feeling quite down, and yes, each and every passage outlined in the tale hits me, hard. I wanted to cry as I was reading each line, and seeing the pictures added to plethora of emotions that have hit me.

The illustrations is cute, a bit crude, and as much as I honestly prefer the illustrations from the original book, this one would do. As I haven't read the original novel yet *gasp* I don't know how many parts have been removed in order to make this more interesting and more compact in a sense. Maybe once I've read the original, I could comment on what diferences there are between the graphic novel and the original.

I'm still a bit teary-eyed and I honestly don't know what else to write. It is just a brilliant novel, and this graphic novel version would probably interest the children who don't really like reading. Pick this book up [or the original novel, for that matter] and just try to read between the lines at what the quotes mean.

The original book would be discussed for our December 2011 book club discussion and I can't wait to partake in it!

Published: 2010
Available From: Everywhere! Locally, I'm not sure though.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Book was: an ARC from NetGalley
Read it if: Just read it! It's my first book of 2011 and oh my gosh, it just blew me away.
Rating: I loved it, one of my favourite reads of the year [5/5]

The Adventures of Rusty & Ginger Fox is a children's picture book that tell the tale of two fox pups as they explore the forest, learning about new creatures. There is also a tiny mystery tale in the end where the fox stumble upon a hidden treasure!

So, anyway, a brief back story. When I got the pitch to review the book, I squealed because it was cute! And when i finally got the book from the post office, here it was, in fully glory and read it as soon as I opened the package. Then again, I would have read it sooner had I not come home from work late after a Christmas party.



Packed with photos of wildlife, the book is one of the cutest things ever! The author is also the photographer of the stunning photos you'll see in the book. It must have taken him hours and hours and hours of waiting just to get that perfect shot! What I do adore about this book is that the photos do tie up to the narration in the book. However, I would have preferred if the author has worded the narration in rhymes or rhythmic syllables so the little ones would appreciate the story more. Oh, and myself included. I guess it would help me remember the whole book if it was rhymed! Not sure if the copy I got is an arc or the finished copy but I found a misspelled word and a grammatical error but no worries - maybe it would be fixed in the future books to be released by the author!

Rusty and Ginger and their new friends are just so cute, you have to get this book and see it for yourself! I also love the fun facts on the side of the pages about the animals and even humans! Of course, any additional information on some of our furry friends is a big plus for me!

Published: 2010
Publisher: Synergy Books
Book was: Provided by the publicist for review. Thank you =)
Read it if: you adore nature, animals, and children's picture books!
Rating: I absolutely loved it! [5/5]

RandomHouse has been kind enough to provide 3 copies of Kissing Games of the World by Sandi Kahn Shelton. This book will be released on your bookstores by November 11th, 2009! [of course, that's the US release date.] Please read on below for the book summary and the giveaway information! So excited to read this book!

Book Summary:

If there’s one point that Jamie McClintock and Nate Goddard can agree upon, it’s that love is overrated. Jamie doesn’t have time for it. Nate doesn’t need it. And they certainly don’t want it from each other.

Jamie, a struggling free-spirited artist, is a devoted single mother who hasn’t been in a serious relationship since her boyfriend abandoned her after their son was born. Nate, a charismatic jet-setting salesman, is widowed and estranged from his father and five-year-old son, Christopher. Jamie would rather glue glitter to pinecones than go out on a date. Nate spends most of his nights wooing his clients. Then one afternoon Nate’s father drops dead of a heart attack. In that moment, their highly guarded worlds collide.

When Nate shows up at his childhood home to settle the estate and reclaim his son, he discovers that Jamie has been living in the Connecticut farmhouse as his father’s roommate. Mistrustful of each other’s motives, Nate and Jamie bicker about everything from children’s nicknames to Jamie’s fashion choices to Nate’s home renovation methods. It doesn’t help that Christopher prefers Jamie to his absentee father.

But after the funeral, Nate and Jamie begin to see each other in a more forgiving light. Nate, traveling to sales conferences all over the country with a sullen Christopher in tow, learns he can’t breeze his way through single parenthood. Jamie, who has moved back in with her sister, wonders at the wisdom of her unconventional choices as a woman with a child to support. And both begin to realize they don’t know as much about love as they thought. Still wounded by past heartbreak and sorrow, can they learn to trust each other and open their hearts?

Giveaway Info:

Sorry guys, but this is open only for US addresses only. For those overseas, you may enter if you have a friend or a relative with a US address who can send the book for you.

Giveway will end on November 10th, 2009, 11pm Manila time, [11AM EST] where I'll draw the entry and post the three winners in this blog! Fair chances of winning, right? Good luck everyone :D

To enter:

- For 1 entry, please comment below with your email address so I can contact you.

- For an additional entry, become a follower of my blog. If you're a previous follower, please let me know in the comments and you'll get the point

- For another additional entry, post this giveaway on your twitter, blog, forum, or as a sidebar. Please also let me know the site where you've posted the entry to :)

Three entries per person! What are you waiting for? :)