Every Family has a secret

But for the Roanoke Girls, it often goes to the grave with them.

Amy Engel's tale of the Roanoke family strikes at the heart of anyone who has had a bad relationship with family, lived through their parents messed up view of the world, or just in general wanted to feel special. Preying on the knowledge that all girls wanted to be "special" Yates Roanoke created a kingdom in the middle of Kansas that it seemed no one came out of in one piece. Despite the twisted reality that lay inside the house, Allegra couldn't leave. Lane thought it would be a chance to finally feel loved, but what she found lived up to her mother's warnings and not her dreams. Her mother had left Roanoke but it never left her. Lane found her own way out, but it found a way to get her back. Engel captures the story in such a way that I wanted to keep reading in disbelief of the truth. You wanted the best for the girls, but knew that they shared the same fate. Dead, gone, Dead, Gone. just as Allegra told Lane in her first days in the house. Lane was never added to the frame, perhaps that is why she could escape but not without being damaged. I practically devoured the book, each story repeating the mistakes of the generation before. I even sympathized with Gran, wanting to end it all. It was best after all. I received this book for review from blogging for books.

If you love Jane Austen...

You will love Blood Rose Rebellion.

In the first installment of the new series, ROSALYN EVES captures everything I love about 19th century English Literature and creates this world that revolves around magic. Anna Arden is headstrong, brave, and yet vulnerable to everything that a teenage girl would be. She wants to love and be loved. But in her world, her lack of magic puts a mark of shame on her and she sets out to change the world. It was captivating, emotional, and if time had allowed I very well might have finished it all in one sitting. I was entranced by the journey of Anna and the forbidden romance that formed. I cannot wait to see what Eves has in store for the heroine. I received this book for review from blogging for books

Shakespeare updated

Being an avid lover of the bard of Avon, it was easy to see the similarities to The Merchant of Venice. Having read it certainly helped to understand. However, it was not quite the compelling read I was going for.

Junie B Musical

As a mother of a young child, Junie B. Jones has definitely had her moment in my house. My daughter has been reading the books for the last two years. She even went to Book Character day dressed as Junie. She loved the musical version. She sang along and danced to the catchy tunes about one of her favorite book characters. I can't wait to use this in my classroom and perhaps inspire some more Junie B. Jones and music lovers.

Best Friends For Life

We all have the one friend. The one that you just can't shake and you wouldn't want to. That BBFL. This is the perfect Birthday, Christmas, Friendiversary gift for your bestie. (Particularly those you've had since that awkward phase in middle school and have seen you through all the rough times). The brightly colored illustrations of Leah Reena Goren are pure art. The words are simple and yet powerful. It's the story of every true friendship. The ups the downs and the secrets (handshake and all). It's a little too pink for my taste but the sentiment is still great.

What would Hamilton Do?

Like so many, I have become a bit obsessed with Hamilton thanks to Lin Manuel Miranda's amazing musical. My minor in history what seemed ages ago barely skimmed over this founding father. So in Hamiltonian fashion I have tried to find every book I can. It was a no-brainer for me to pick up Jeff Wilser's book Alexander Hamilton's Guide to Life.

This book is history with a splash of pop culture. Wilser likens Hamilton to Chuck Norris and makes Star Wars references in regards to the founding of America. It's a history book for non-history lovers.
>br> The divisions of the book make it easy to explore Hamilton's life, in bits and pieces, but also flows through his life story as well from start to finish. Wilser also points to historical inaccuracies of the musical (in an informative way to point out the dramatic value of the changes). He provides additional reading sources, I'm hunting for the Fleming book now.

The best part of Wiser's book is the concept itself, inspired by the eulogy given by Gouvernor Morris, What Would Hamilton Do? And in reality, we could take so many notes from the "maxims" of Alexander Hamilton. From his tenacity to his indefatigable honesty, so much of the life of Hamilton can be applied to our daily life. He fought to form America, saw the future of the country even when no one else could, and in the end gave his life to preserve the nation that he had worked hard to build. America as we know it was Hamilton's dream and much of his legacy has become the cornerstone of the governing and economic policies of many nations.

Wilser creates his book to three men. Hamilton, Ron Chernow, and Lin Manuel Miranda. And truly the phenomenon that has become Hamilton can definitely be credited with a newfound desire to learn more about this underrated and misunderstood founding father. I think Wilser, himself, will help to bring more clarity to the subject.



"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

So much Pun

Family game night just got more Pun with Punderdome. From the creator's of Brooklyn's Favorite Pun tournament, father daughter duo Fred and Jo Firestone, this game will have everyone competing to see who can be the most creative or corny as the case is usually. My colleagues come up with puns for work and have greatly enjoyed the new fodder that playing this game has provided me with. I can't wait to get a big group of us together to play. "I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."