Book Review: Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin by Stephanie M. Ward

Genre: Children's

Publisher: Forwards Press

Release Date: 9th November 2014
No. of Pages: 24

ISBN: 978-0-9898423-1-0

Rating: 5/5

Review:

It is a story of Wally the Emperor Penguin who wants to be somewhere warm. So he sets off from Antarctica and lands in the Galapagos Islands.

Ward had created a book your children will adore from its colourful pages to the easy to read rhyming verse. She mixes fun into Wally's Story as she teaches us about the Galapagos Islands and some of its inhabitants.

I read this with my 2 year old son Nicholas and his 2 and a half year old cousin Chase. Both boys loved the book. My nephew Chase was asking for more when I finished reading the book. 

This book is an adorable rhyming tale and it has awesome drawings.

I highly recommend it to anyone who has little kids.

You can find the book here:
Goodreads, Amazon 

Book Review: The Ghosts of Young Nick's Head by Sue Copsey

Genre: Kiwi Literature, Ghosts Stories 

Publisher: Pear Jam Books

Release Date: 30th December 2013

No. of pages: 128

ISBN: 978-1-927182-25-3

Rating: 5/5

Review:

The Ghosts of Young Nick's Head is the first book in the series Spooky Adventures.

This has all the elements, for a good children's ghost yarn and it delivers. Not so scary as to give the kids nightmares but certainly enough to give them just the right amount of shivers down their spines.

The two boys holidaying in a creepy old house, experience ghosts both friendly and dangerously malevolent. The boys manage to piece together the stories of the ghosts detail by detail and in the end make use of modern technology to broadcast the truth to the nation.

The setting is very cool, a historic headland in a wild lonely spot.

I loved this book. It was a great story and I will love to read more about Joe and Eddie. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good ghost story.

You can find the book here:
Goodreads, Amazon, B&N 

Book Review: Blue by Lisa Glass

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Quercus

Release Date: 29th May 2014

No. of pages: 375

ISBN: 978-1-84866-340-4

Rating: 5/5

Review:

Blue is the first book in the trilogy Blue.

This is the first novel I've read with the surfing theme and I must say I really enjoyed this aspect of the story.

I love this book. When I started reading it I could not put the book down. I had no idea until I turned that last page that it is the first book in a series then I later found out its a trilogy. I am really excited to read more about Iris and her surfing.

There was a scene near the end of the book involving Zeke that had me crying.

I have never been surfing but I loved reading all the different things to do with surfing. Like learning to surf, surfing as a hobby, pro surfing, the different boards lingo and the places to surf. This book makes me want to learn to surf.

I cannot wait to watch the film of this novel called Bluer than the sky.

You can find the book here:
Goodreads, Amazon, B&N 

Book Review: Castle of Dreams by Elise McCune

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Release Date: 27th April 2016

No. of pages: 368
ISBN: 978-1-760-29184-6
Rating: 5/5

Review:

I just want to start by saying I don't like books that are told by multiple characters points of view, But I absolutely loved this book.

It’s a story of secrets held by two sisters and their families set in two different time zones.

I enjoyed reading about sisters Vivien and Rose and how they were brought up in a mysterious castle in Northern Queensland during the war and also Stella.

It’s a story about the lives of two sisters growing up together, falling in love and trying to find their way in life in a time of war and waiting.

The dark secrets of decades, the lies that spanned three generations of women. Would Stella discover the truth or should it remain buried in the past?

I highly recommend this book.

With many thanks to Allen & Unwin for this uncorrected proof copy to read in exchange for my honest review.

You can find the book here:
Goodreads, Amazon, B&N