2013 A-Z Reading Challenge

Technical Stuff
This challenge will run from January 1st, 2012 until December 31st, 2013.
You can join anytime.

Crossovers to other challenges are allowed and encouraged!

So there are two different ways you can set up your own A-Z challenge.

A – Make a list now of 26 books, picking one for each letter of the alphabet. For example: A – The Azalea Assault B- Blue Monday C – Crops and Robbers D – A Deadly Grind etc.

OR

B – How I plan to do it: Make a list on your blog from A-Z. Throughout the year, as you go along, add the books you are reading to the list. Hope that by the end of the year you have read one book for each letter. Towards the end of the year, you can check and see which letters you are missing and find books to fit.

Ready to join??

Bloggers grab the button and make a post about the challenge to encourage others to join! Use the post URL in the linky below.

Non-bloggers you can join too! Just keep track any way you wish and enter a link below if available or sign up in the comment section.

Follow Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book as there may be special announcements made about the challenge.


AAngels at the Table by Debbie Macomber (Audio)
BBullSnakes by Becky Wolff (ebook)
CCream Puff Murder by Leslie Meier (Audio)
DDisney in the Shadow (Kingdom Keepers #3)by Ridley Pearson (Audio)
E
Egypt by Planet Collection
Ethiopia: Picture Book
F Freddie the Frog Was Hungry by Kari Brimhall (ebook)
G Giraffes: Picture Book by Planet Collection (ebook)
H
I Insects ! By Mark Farley
J Japan: Picture Book by Planet Collection (ebook)
KKissing Christmas Goodbye by M C Beaton (Audio)
LAgatha Raisin and Love, Lies and Liquor by M C Beaton (Audio)
MMiracle on Grass by David Fanucchi
NNight Catch by Brenda Ehrmantraut
Not Another Boring ABC Book by Sharon Cohen
O
PPlum Pudding Murder by Leslie Meier (Audio)
Q
R Rhinoceros! By Becky Wolff (ebook)
SA Spoonful of Poison (Agatha Raisin, #19) by M C Beaton (Audio)
T
U - Uzbekistan: Picture Book by Planet Collection
V
W
X
Y
Z

Book Review: Dawn's Big Move (The Baby-Sitters Club, #67) by Ann M Martin

Title: Dawn's Big Move (The Baby-Sitters Club, #67)
Author: Ann M Martin
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 0590470051
Release Date: September 1st 1993
Pages: 192
Genre: Children’s
Format: Paperback
Source: TBR

Back Cover: Dawn loves here life in Stoneybrook – her new stepfamily, the kids she sits for, and especially her friends in the Babysitters Club. But lately, Dawn really misses her dad and brother in California. Seeing them on holidays and vacations just isn’t enough. So Dawn’s made a decision – a big one. She’s going to move back to California for six months.

Of course, everyone’s shocked. What’s Mary Anne going to do without her best friend and stepsister? Who will replace Dawn in the Club? And will she really come back?

Mine: I haven’t read one of these books in a while but had one on the shelf and thought what the heck. It took me back to jr. high when friends abound. I know it was a hard decision go visit her Dad and brother in California or stay in Stoneybrook. Dawn’s friends make it hard and easy at the same time. Not the best one of the BSC books.


Reading Challenges:
101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge
150+ Reading Challenge for 2013
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge
2013 Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
2013 Read-A-Latte Challenge
2013 WHERE Are You Reading Challenge
50 States Challenge 2013

Book Review: Uzbekistan: Picture Book (Educational Children's Books Collection) - Level 2 by Planet Collection

Title: Uzbekistan: Picture Book (Educational Children's Books Collection) - Level 2 (Planet Collection)
Author: Planet Collection
Publisher: Planet Collection
ISBN: B0097KA4GY
Release Date: September 7, 2012
Pages: 17
Genre: Children’s
Format: ebook
Source: Kindle

Kindle: As a part of the updated Planet Collection, "UZBEKISTAN" offers facts, descriptions and thought inspiring questions alongside amazing photographs of Uzbekistan.

Toddlers and babies will love looking at the large photos, while the older children will be able to grow their minds through reading the fun fact filled passages.


Mine: A major supplier of cotton, spices, and silk. They are known for they handiwork in wood and silk.

Great photos and some interesting facts about the country of Uzbekistan. Where nomads live in tents and travel the desert with their livestock.

Reading Challenges:
101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge
150+ Reading Challenge for 2013
2013 E-Book Reading Challenge
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge
2013 Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
2013 Read-A-Latte Challenge
2013 WHERE Are You Reading Challenge

Where Are You Reading Challenge

Book Review: There's a Bear In My Bed by Emma Parker

Title: There’s A Bear In My Bed
Author: Emma Parker
Publisher: www.SecondEditionPublishers.com
ISBN: 978-1-877547-97-3
Release Date: 2010
Pages: 16
Genre: Children’s
Format: ebook
Source: iPhone

Review from Goodreads:
Why is there a big bear in the bed? A new range of brightly coloured and imaginatively written children's picture books, which will captivate the attention of children from age 4-7 (and some adults too)!


Mine:
A shorter version of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears with just one bear that befriends the little boy. The bear is nice enough to finally give up the bed for the chair so he can watch over the boy for the night when he goes to bed.

The wonderful thing about these stories is the colorful illustrations and wonderful voices that read the stories. The characters are brought to life and almost come off the page.

Book Review: Hedgehogs by Emma Parker

Title: Hedgehogs
Author: Emma Parker
Publisher: www.SecondEditionPublishers.com
ISBN: 978-1-877561-80-1
Release Date: 2010
Pages: 16
Format: ebook
Source: iPhone

Review by Goodreads:
Can you find the hedgehogs at night? A new range of brightly coloured and imaginatively written children's picture books, which will captivate the attention of children from age 4-7 (and some adults too)!


Mine:
I was hunting for book apps for my iPhone, this can be found in Read Me Stories. This is an adorable book with wonderful pictures and a cute story about Hedgehogs. The story tells that they come out at night and what they eat grubs (yuck!). This is a wonderful book to keep a young one occupied and although my nephews are past that age they would have loved it.

Book Review: Hallaboo at the Zoo by Emma Parker

Title: Hullabaloo at the Zoo
Author: Emma Parker
Publisher: www.SecondEditionPublishers.com
ISBN: 978-1-877561-32-0
Release Date: 2010
Pages: 20
Format: ebook
Source: iPhone

Review by Goodreads: The monkeys have escaped from the zoo! A new range of brightly coloured and imaginatively written children's picture books, which will captivate the attention of children from age 4-7 (and some adults too)!


Mine:A cute story about the zoo and how the monkeys escape and cause havoc. They leave the school and cut through the school then to town and the shops. The bakery, the china shop (oops watch out plates), the grocery where they were finally caught eating bananas.

Book Review -The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans

Title: The Christmas List
Author: Richard Paul Evans
Genre: Holiday (Christmas), Romance

Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, The Naming Convention Challenge, Book Around the States Challenge, Read and Review Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Romance Reading Challenge 2010, Audio Book Challenge 2010, Romance Challenge 2010, Pages Read 2010, Every Month is a Holiday 2010, A to Z challenge,

Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: 352 (Audio)
Published: 2009

Back Cover: Wildly successful real estate mogul James Kier gets the shock of a lifetime when he opens the newspaper and discovers his own obituary has been mistakenly printed. Says the notice, “He was known as a fierce, oftentimes ruthless, businessman.” Kier’s initial anger soon melts with the realization that he’s been given a rare opportunity to face his own legacy. Confronting the mistakes he’s made, he creates a list of people he’s wronged and begins seeking atonement on a path strewn with surprises.

Mine: A wonderful story as usually by Mr. Evans – I love his holiday stories (The Christmas Box). James Kier is a ruthless businessman and mogal, but he wasn’t always. After seeing his premature obituary he decides to try to go back and see if he can rectify some of the deals he made.

Just like A Christmas Carol, he has his assistant make a list of the people that he has hurt the most with his business deals and tries to do right by them. Along the way he finds the old self of the humble beginnings. I think this should become a Christmas classic, since the true meaning of Christmas is always found in the end.

Book Reveiw: February Friends by Ron Roy

Title: February Friend (Calendar Mysteries #2)
Author: Ron Roy
Genre: Young Adult

Challenges: To Be Continued…Challenge, 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, Read and Review Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Young Adult Reading Challenge, YA Through the Decades, 1st In A Series, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge, What An Animal III Challenge


Rating: 3/5
No. of Pages: 69
Published: 2009


Back Cover: It’s a Valentine’s Day party! Bradley is passing out his class’s valentines, but one of them has no name on it. Inside, the card tells the class to look in the closet. When they open the closet door, the kids find a rabbit named Douglas in a cage! What mysterious “friend” left him there? And why? Then the bunny gets sick. It sup to Bradley, Brian, Lucy and Nate to track down his owner and figure out what is wrong with poor little Douglas.

Mine: The kids are committed to finding out who left Douglas behind for the class to take care of. The kids do manage to find the owner and realize they actually know him. He’s left Douglas, because he feels he can no longer take care of him himself. The kids help him realize that he can still take care of him.

Book Review -Double Play At Short by Matt Christopher

Title: Double Play At Short
Author: Matt Christopher
Genre: Young Adult

Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, Read and Review Challenge 2010, Read Your Own Books 2010, TBR Challenge 2010, Reading From My Shelves Project 2010, 100 + Reading Challenge, Young Adult Reading Challenge, YA Through the Decades, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge,

Rating: 3/5
No. of Pages: 139
Published: 1995


Back Cover: Danny Walker is on eof the best players the team has; in fact, his adoptive parents and sister consider him a shoo-in for the shortstop position on the All-Star team. But that was before Tammy Aiken, the opposition’s new “Hot Dog” shortstop, showed up. Danny has a sinking feeling the newcomer is as good as he is – feeling her stats back up. And yet something besides her threatening to steal the All-Star spot from him is bothering him.. The more he watches her, the more he becomes convince that he’s seen her – or someone just like her – play before. Why does Tammy seem so familiar?

Mine: (I try to read some of the same books as my nephews. The older one loves Matt Christopher and I love baseball.) This is a great way great way to also discuss adoption, when do you tell someone that their were adopted.. Danny seems to have always known. Having a brother who was adopted as a baby, it’s nice to see how Danny belongs in the family.

Book Review: Masks From Around the World by Garth Dahl

Title: Masks From Around the World – A Personal Collection
Author: Garth Dahl
Genre: Reference

Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, Monthly Mixer Mele, Read and Review Challenge 2010, Read Your Own Books 2010, TBR Challenge 2010, Reading From My Shelves Project 2010, 100 + Reading Challenge, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge

Rating: 3/5
No. of Pages: 82
Published: 2006


Back Cover: Garth Dahl bought his first mask in Costa Rica in 1989 as a travel souvenir, and this book details his discoveries in mask buying that followed. Beautiful photographs bring out the visual energy of the masks that he assembled over 15 years, on five continents. Dahl shares valuable practical advice with beginners who might wish to collect masks themselves – in other countries, in Canada and on the internet.

The author’s interview with noted West Coast carver Reg Davidson reveals how a mask maker expresses culture through masks, and leads to Dahl witnessing a highly significant event in the history of the Haida nation of British Columbia.

Mine: What an interesting book about masks. I’ve always enjoyed looking at them at museums, but have never thought about the collecting part of it. The photographs are wonderful – they follow Dahl on his adventures around the world to find his prized masks. It’s interesting to see that almost every continent or area of the world has masks. My favorite masks are the “Head in the Air” that looks much like a giraffe and the Stone Faced with it’s beautiful mother of pearl.

This should be considered a wonderful starting resource about masks.

Book Review & Interview: 70 Meals, One Trip to the Store by Kelly Donlea

Title: 70 Meals, One Trip to the Store
Author: Kelly Donlea
Genre: Cookbook

Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, Read and Review Challenge 2010, Read Your Own Books 2010, TBR Challenge 2010, Reading From My Shelves Project 2010, 100 + Reading Challenge, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge,

Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: 65
Published:


Back Cover: With 70 Meals, One Trip to the Store, you will learn how to stock your pantry with a small and streamlined list of ingredients that will allow you to make dinner night after night without a trip to the store.

For more shortcuts, solutions and meals palling tools that bring organization to your life and good food to your table, visit the website Organizing Dinner

Mine: I just wish I had more to cook for (just my mother and I). The great thing about this book is the simple recipes, but very doable for a family even with picky eaters. The recipe that best to me are the Stuffed Bell Peppers, which I miss eating. I did try the Lemon Honey Chicken which were delicious (if I do say so myself).

I think this is a great book to give as a gift to give to the busy mother, to help from making dinner time so hectic.

Here is her interview:

Describe your book in five words or less
Dinner success for life

How did the idea for the 70 Meals, One Trip to the Store come to you?
I was tired of needing different ingredients from the store every night when I went to make dinner -- and having a hard time getting to the store with a toddler.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?
Creating new recipes is a joy and a breeze for me. Editing and proofing my own work is a near-impossible combination of second-guessing, and creative block.

What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?
I have a salads cookbook that is nearly complete, as well as a lite ingredients book and a deserts book based on the 70 Meals, One Trip to the Store concept in the works.

Why did you choose to write a cookbook?
Writing was my profession, and cooking was my passion. At the same time, I found I had really good ideas, and a knack for putting ingredients together. The cookbook was a natural progression. I believe sharing sensible cooking tips is what I am meant to do.

Book Review - Hannah's List by Debbie Macomber

Title: Hannah’s List
Author: Debbie Macomber
Genre: Chick Lit

Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge. Book Around the States Challenge, Monthly Mixer Mele, Read and Review Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Romance Reading Challenge 2010, Audio Book Challenge 2010, Pages Read 2010, Contemporary Romance Challenge in 2010, A to Z challenge,



Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: Audio (354)
Published: 2010


Back Cover: On the Anniversary of his beloved wife’s death, Dr. Michael Everett receives a letter Hannah had written to him.

In it she reminds him of her love and makes one final request. An impossible request – I want you to marry again. She tells him he shouldn’t spend the years he has left grieving her. And to that end she’s chosen three women she asks him to consider.

First on Hannah’s list is her cousin, Winter Adams, a trained chef who owns a café on Seattle’s Blossom Street. The second is Leanne Lancaster, Hannah’s oncology nurse. Michael knows them both. But the third name is one he’s not familiar with – Macy Roth.

Each of these three women has her own heartache, her own private grief. More than a year earlier, Winter broke off her relationship with another chef. Leanne is divorced from a man who defrauded the hospital for which she works. And Macy lacks family of her own, the family she craves, but she’s a rescuer of strays, human and animal. Macy is energetic, artistic, eccentric – and couldn’t be more different from Michael.

During the months that follow, he spends time with Winter, Leanne, and Macy, learning more about each of them… and about himself. Learning what Hannah already knew. He’s a man who needs the completeness only love can offer. And Hannah’s list leads him to the woman who can help him find it.

Mine: As ever Macomber gets to the heart. Michael must live with the fact that his wife Hannah who died over a year ago is giving him permission to move on with his life. She has left him a letter with 3 choices of ladies who might be suitable. As always the least likely on paper is probably the best choice for him; if he will just let his heart open.

Book Review - Lily: A Basset Hound’s Tail of Love by Cathy M. Rudert

Title: Lily: A Basset Hound’s Tail of Love
Author: Cathy M. Rudert
Genre: Children’s

Challenges: PB & J Challenge, 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, Read and Review Challenge 2010, Read Your Own Books 2010, TBR Challenge 2010, Reading From My Shelves Project 2010, Young Readers Reading Challenge 2010, 100 + Reading Challenge, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge, What An Animal III Challenge

Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: 32
Published: 2006


Inside Cover: Lily…(The loosely part) – Join a homeless basset hound on her last lonely, but somewhat fun day searching for someone to love her. She travels with her guardian blue bird, who leaves his new family for one day to show her the way.

She encounters many folks on her journey who seem nice, but go on their way. Her luck changes at the end of the day, just in time for dinner, a tour of her new back yard, a bubble bath, and YES, a nice warm bed! Lily meets many people, but the ending is clear! Her new best friends are saved for last, and are very dear.

Lily…(the true part) – I found Lily wandering the streets newar my hometown. She had been abandoned for a long time, according to a lady who noticed her roaming in her neighborhood. Lily has no tags. I stumbled upon the situation and brought her home to live with Chloe and myself at Pine Meer. This all happened on St. Francis’ Day. I did no know what that meant at first, but I figured it out later. St. Francis is the patron Saint of animals, so maybe,just maybe, dogs are an additional or subsidiary deity designed to catch the overflow and surplus of the world’s worship!

Mine: What a wonderful quirky book. Illustrated with collage – drawing and pictures makes this story pop. The most wonderful part is Lily is learning about her environment around her, so that she can survive when given the wonderful care that she deserves. She meets some funny people along the way, but none seem to notice her.

Lily is a wonderful dog that must have learned to spread love all around. Cathy has made rescuing basset hounds a calling: Please check out Cathy’s website that helps rescue Basset Hounds – Basset Hound Town

Book Review: Superfudge by Judy Blume

Title: Superfudge
Author: Judy Blume
Genre: Young Adult

Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, The Naming Convention Challenge, Monthly Mixer Mele, Read and Review Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Young Adult Reading Challenge, YA Through the Decades, Audio Book Challenge 2010, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge, 1001 Childrens book Before I Grow Up

Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: Audio
Published: 1992


Back Cover: He knows a lot of big words, but he doesn’t know where babies come frm. He’s never heard of a stork, but he plans to be a bird when he grows up. He’s Superfudge, otherwise known as Farley Drexel Hatcher. And, according to his older brother, Peter, the biggest pain ever invented. Among other things.

As fans of Tales of Fourth Grade Nothing already know, nothing is simple for Peter Hatcher. He is far from overjoyed at the turn the family fortunes are taking. It looks as if Peter wil be spending sixth grade far from Central Park, Sheila Tubman, Jimmy Fargo, and Henry the doorman. (He won’t miss Sheila) And it also looks as if Fudge will no longer be the baby of the family. How will Peter ever survive if his new sibling is a carbon copy of Fudge?

Mine: This is much better as an audio book (actually read by the author). I had tried reading this when I was younger, but never read the first book, so the story was hard to follow. How Fudge can bring on such troubles is humorous.

Moving from New York City to a small town where he must meet new friends and start at a new school along with this brother Fudge. He does such innocent things, but they turn in to unmanageable problems for Peter his favorite brother.

Book Review: Frog Goes To Dinner by Mercer Mayer

Title: Frog Goes To Dinner
Author: Mercer Mayer
Genre: Children’s

Challenges: To Be Continued…Challenge, PB & J Challenge, 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, What an Animal II, Read and Review Challenge 2010, Young Readers Reading Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge, What An Animal III Challenge

Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: 32
Published: 1974


Back Cover: Frog goes to dinner…..

Mine: This is a great new series (to me) and of course it has frogs in it, so how can I not read it?

Once again the illustrations can’t help but tell the wonderful story of how frog disrupts a fancy dinner with boy’s family. He jumps in the saxophone, then smashes the drum, jumps in the salad that scares the women, then jumps in a drink and finally is thrown and boy’s family is asked to leave the fancy restaurant.

Book Review: One Frog Too Many by Mercer Mayer

Title: One Frog Too Many
Author: Mercer and Marianna Mayer
Genre: Children’s

Challenges: To Be Continued…Challenge, PB & J Challenge, 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, What an Animal II, Read and Review Challenge 2010, Young Readers Reading Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge, What An Animal III Challenge, 2nd Chance Challenge

Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: 32
Published: 1975


Back Cover: A Boy and his dog are playing in the woods. They meet a little frog. Will the old frog be nice to the new frog?

Mine: This is a great new series (to me) and of course it has frogs in it, so how can I not read it?

Once again the illustrations can’t help but tell the wonderful story of how frog must learn to get along with another frog. He has difficulty as all things new with something different when they were the first. Frog pushes and prods the new frog until he gets lost and boy, dog and turtle look for him. They are awful upset with frog for making it difficult for the new frog.

Book Review: Frog On His Own by Mercer Mayer

Title: Frog On His Own
Author: Mercer Mayer
Genre: Children’s

Challenges: To Be Continued…Challenge, PB & J Challenge, 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, What an Animal II, Read and Review Challenge 2010, Young Readers Reading Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge, What An Animal III Challenge

Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: 32
Published: 1973


Back Cover: Frog on his own…..

Mine: This is a great new series (to me) and of course it has frogs in it, so how can I not read it?

Once again the illustrations can’t help but tell the wonderful story of how frog discovers what it’s like to be on his own. It’s not quite what he thinks – he realized he should be eating wasps, scaring people will get you in trouble and cats can chase. Finally dog comes to the rescue to run the cat off and boy and frog are reunited.

Book Review: A Boy, A Dog. A Frog and a Friend by Mercer and Marianna Mayer

Title: A Boy, A Dog. A Frog and a Friend
Author: Mercer and Marianna Mayer
Genre: Children’s

Challenges: To Be Continued…Challenge, PB & J Challenge, 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, What an Animal II, Read and Review Challenge 2010, Young Readers Reading Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge, What An Animal III Challenge, 1st In A Series

Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: 32
Published: 1971


Back Cover: First came a boy and his dog. Then they found a frog. Can a new turtle be a good friend too?

Mine: This is a great new series to me and of course it has frogs in it, so how can I not read it?

What a wonderful picture book and it is true picture book – no words. The illustrations are wonderful and help to tell the wonderful story. The boy goes fishing with his dog and frog and meet up with the turtle as he disrupted the fishing. The fishing doesn’t seem to go too well, but a new friend is made along the way.

Book Review: The Christmas Pearl by Dorothea Benton Frank

Title: The Christmas Pearl
Author: Dorothea Benton Frank (Performed by Celia Weston)
Genre: Fiction - Holiday
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, Book Around the States Challenge, Winter Reading Challenge 2010, Read and Review Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Audio Book Challenge 2010, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge,

Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: 176 (Audio)
Published: 2007


Back Cover: Theodora is the matriarch of the family that has grown into a bunch of truculent knuckleheads. While she’s finally gotten them all together in South Carolina to celebrate, this Christmas looks nothing like the extravagant, homey holidays of her childhood.

What happened to the days when Christmas meant tables groaning with home cooked goodies, over-the-top decorations, and long chats in front of the fire with Pearl, her grandmother’s beloved housekeeper and closest confidante?

Luckily a special someone hearing Theodora’s plea for help arrives, pockets full of enough Gullah magic and common sense to make Theodora’s Christmas the love-filled miracle it’s meant to be.

Mine: What a wonderful “Spirit” of Christmas tale. The true spirit of Pearl comes to Teddy when she needs it most to help – her whole wacky family comes to celebrate the holiday. The outrageous cavorting is bright to light, the children’s misbehaving is corrected and in the end all is well. Christmas is finally found in an around everyone’s heart.

Book Review: Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Title: Off Season (Dairy Queen, #2)
Author: Catherine Gilbert Murdock (Audio)
Genre: Young Adult

Challenges: To Be Continued…Challenge, 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, Book Around the States Challenge, Read and Review Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Young Adult Reading Challenge, YA Through the Decades, Audio Book Challenge 2010, 2nd Chance Challenge, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge

Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: 288
Published: 2007 Random House


Back Cover: Life is looking up for D. J. Schwenk. She’s made it to eleventh grade, finally. After a rocky summer, she’s reconnecting with her best friend, Amber. She’s got kind of a thing going with Brian Nelson. Plus there’s the fact that she’s playing for the Red Bend High School football team as probably the first girl linebacker in northern Wisconsin.

But then the season, which began so well, starts to go suddenly, horribly wrong. As autumn progresses, D. J. Struggles to understand what’s happening with football, Brian, Amber, and most of all her family. And as her life turns completely upside down, she discovers she’s a lot stronger than she – or anyone – ever thought.

Mine: This is the second in a series and I definitely have to back and read the first part. This is a coming of age story where D.J. becomes the most adult of everyone. Her parents are struggling with finances, her older brother gets injured in a football game and her younger brother (the brains of the family) wins a science contest, but can’t tell anyone about it.

D.J. can’t figure out her relationship with Brian the star quarterback from her schools rival team. Does he like her or not? He takes her on a trip to pick up some truck parts in Minneapolis and they have a great make out session, but when they return to town – he sees her in the local hang out and ignores her and leaves.

Her brother Will suffers a football injury that should bring the family together, but for a time breaks them apart. D.J. becomes an adult in no time and must help her mom – who hurts her back, her brother Will with his injury her younger brother who takes the truck to the science fair and he’s only 13. Everything that can go wrong, does and there is D.J. to pick up the pieces.

Looking forward to the next part of the story.