PrincessReviews

Title: Demonglass Author: Rachel Hawkins Series: Hex Hall, book 2 About the Author ( Reading Writing Rachel ): Rachel Hawkins was born in Virginia and raised in Alabama. This means she uses words like "y'all" and "fixin'" a lot, and considers anything under 60 degrees to be borderline Arctic. Before deciding to write books about kissing and fire (and sometimes kissing while on fire), Rachel taught high school English for 3 years, and is still capable of teaching you The Canterbury Tales if you're into that kind of thing. She is married to a geologist, which means that they have incredibly strange dinner conversations ("So today at work, I wrote a chapter where killer fog, like, ATE PEOPLE." "Huh. Well, I was chased by an angry reindeer while trying to map parts of Norway." "Um...okay.") Rachel also has a little boy whose main hobbies are playing video games, running around in circles, and plotting his Future Intergalactic Ta...

  Title: Chime Author: Franny Billingsley About the Author (Goodreads): While Billingsley's first novel, Well Wished (1997), was warmly received by critics, a year ago she was a virtual unknown within a publishing climate that regarded fantasy as a specialty genre. Today, her name is on the lips of booksellers and reviewers throughout the country. Franny Billingsley was not always a writer. She graduated from Boston University law-school in 1979, and worked for 5 years as a lawyer — a profession which she “despised.” In 1983, Billingsley visited her sister in Barcelona, Spain where she was “entranced by a lifestyle in which people did not make a lot of money yet lived richly and artfully.” Realizing that she needed to change her life, Billingsley quit her job and moved to Spain with all of her favorite children's books. “Books like A Wrinkle in Time, Harriet the Spy, and The Narnia Chronicles seemed like the perfect antidote to hideously wearisome legal documents,” remembers Bi...

  Title: Elixir Author: Hilary Duff Series: Elixir, book 1 About the Author (Goodreads): Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, pop singer-songwriter and entrepreneur. After gaining fame for playing the title role in the television show  Lizzie McGuire , Duff went on to have a film career; her most commercially successful movies include  Cheaper by the Dozen  (2003),  The Lizzie McGuire Movie  (2003), and  A Cinderella Story  (2004). Duff has expanded her repertoire into pop music, with four RIAA certified Platinum albums and over thirteen million albums sold worldwide. Her first studio album,  Metamorphosis  (2003), was certified triple platinum and she followed it up with two more platinum albums,  Hilary Duff  (2004) and  Most Wanted  (2005). Duff's last studio album,  Dignity , was released in April 2007 and was certified Gold in August 2007. She has also launched a clothing line, "Stuff by Hilary Duff", ...

  Title: Ocean City Lowdown Author: Kim Kash Series: Jamie August, book 1 About the Author (Goodreads): Kim Kash is the author of Ocean City Lowdown: A Jamie August Novel and the bestselling Ocean City: A Guide to Maryland’s Seaside Resort. She is a founder of the Greenbelt Farmers Market near Washington, D.C. Topics she covers as a freelance writer for range from federal government policy to yoga, food and travel. A few years ago, Kim and her husband sold everything and moved to the Middle East. She has since traveled to more than a dozen countries and has taken up sailing, diving, and rock climbing. Book Summary (Goodreads): Ocean City Lowdown introduces Eastern Shore Maryland reporter Jamie August, who has a talent for unearthing more than her editor wants and a weakness for Ravens jerseys and sparkly underwear. She is assigned to cover the grand opening of a big new housing development in Ocean City, Maryland. But instead of writing about wrap-around porches and rattan furnishi...

Title: Eragon Author: Christopher Paolini Series: The Inheritance Cycle, book 1 About the Author (Goodreads): Christopher Paolini was born in Southern California and has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana. He published his first novel,  Eragon ,  in 2003 at the age of nineteen, and quickly became a publishing phenomenon. His Inheritance Cycle— Eragon  and its three sequels—have sold nearly 40 million copies worldwide.  To Sleep in a Sea of Stars   is his first adult novel. Book Summary (Goodreads): One boy... One dragon... A world of adventure. When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. ...

  Title: Halfway to the Grave Author:  Jeaniene Frost Series:  Night Huntress About the Author: (Amazon) Jeaniene Frost is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series, the Broken Destiny series, and the Night Rebel series. To date, foreign rights for Jeaniene's novels have sold to twenty different countries. Jeaniene lives in Florida with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she rarely cooks and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking, and traveling - by car. Airplanes, children, and cook books frighten her. Book Summary: (Goodreads)  Flirting With The Grave… Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father – the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty...

 Title: And Then I Turned Into a Mermaid Author:  Laura Kirkpatrick Series:  And then I Turned into a Mermaid About the Author:  LAURA KIRKPATRICK is the pen name of author Laura Steven. She is part-mermaid, part-children's author living in northern England. Her favorite things are white chocolate, beach walks with her puppy, and hiding her tail from prying humans. In addition to her fiction, Laura is a journalist and screenwriter whose work has been featured in Buzzfeed. Visit her at laura-steven.com. Book Summary: (Edelweiss+)  Some family secrets really make waves—just ask Molly Seabrook, newly thirteen and part-mermaid! Molly Seabrook's dull seaside life is turned upside down when she turns thirteen and is let in on the family secret: she's PART-MERMAID. Molly isn't exactly thrilled. She already has to dress as a fish to promote the family seafood restaurant, and now this? Growing up is hard enough without sprouting a fish tail in math class, or disguising y...

The Mob Museum, located in Las Vegas, Nevada, is more than just a museum. Offering interactive experiences, such as the Crime Scene Investigator and Firearms Training, as well as having a Distillery and Speakeasy on premises make this a fun adventure for anyone.  There are three floors of traditional museum with displays, exhibits, and films exploring different pathways of organized crime, the most notorious crime lords, and public portrayal of such events. Drugs, murder, money laundering, animal poaching, human trafficking, and more will keep visitors interested in the educational components. You can do a self-guided tour, audio tour, or group led tour.  I did the Crime Scene experience and the Firearms Training experience. For the Crime Scene experience, you enter a laboratory through a door with a fingerprint on it. Inside, you complete several stages of forensics with an introduction to each to help you through. My favorite and the one I did the best on was the fingerprint...

  TV Show: The A List  Channel: Netflix, originally on BBC  Seasons:  2 New on: Summer of 2022 on Netflix, if renewed  Starring: Lisa Ambalavanar, Ellie Duckles  I'd Recommend to... Young Adult/Teenage SciFi Fans Pretty Little Liars fans  My Rating: 4.5/5 My Thoughts: Mia is used to being the popular girl, but at Peregrine Island's Summer Camp, there's a new "it" girl in town - Amber. Something doesn't seem quite right about Amber, and the island seems to hold an awful lot of mysteries, including what seems like a human tooth growing from a tree and a ghost in one of the cabins. With no cell service and no ferries back to the mainland, Mia needs to find a way off the island before Amber gets to her.  Honestly this series was super confusing at times. However, those unanswered questions had me wanting more at the end of each episode and I definitely binged this series! I was on the edge of my seat. The Netflix thumbnail has a girl wi...

Title: Kind is the New Classy Author: Candace Cameron Bure About the Author: (Amazon) Candace Cameron Bure lights up the entertainment industry as a role model to women of all ages, reaching millions of fans. She is an award-winning actress and producer, New York Times Best-Selling Author, wife, and mother of 3. Candace is currently performing as the lead in the third season of Netflix's Emmy nominated original comedy series Fuller House where she reprises her role as D.J Tanner. Fuller House celebrated multiple wins for People's Choice Awards, Teen Choice Awards, and Kids Choice Awards for Seasons 1 & 2. Candace took home the win at the Teen Choice Awards for "Best Comedy TV Actress" two years in a row. Candace recently made her directorial debut on an episode of Fuller House Season 4, which will release this December. On ABC Network's long-time running talk show The View, Candace wrapped her second season as co-host in December 2016. Candace and her...

Title: Watersmeet Author: Ellen Jensen Abbott Series: Watersmeet, book 1 About the Author: (Amazon) Ellen Jensen Abbott thinks that life would be perfect if she could move to the White Mountains of New Hampshire where she grew up. Until she can convince her friends and family to join her, she's content to be writing, teaching English at the Westtown School, and living in West Chester, PA. Her debut novel, Watersmeet, was an IRA Young Adult Award Notable Book, and was nominated for YALSA's Teen Top Ten. The sequel, The Centaur's Daughter, is "fast paced and full of romance, suspense, and adventure and handles prejudice and acceptance in thought-provoking ways," according to The School Library Journal. Book Summary: (Amazon) From her birth, Abisina has been outcast--for the color of her eyes and skin, and for her lack of a father. Only her mother's status as the village healer has kept her safe. But when a mythic leader arrives, Abisina's life...

STONE HORSES is a new band local to the DC/Baltimore area. They've recently had an EP come out, and tonight is actually my first time listening to it because I'm an awful fan. But I gotta admit, I'm impressed. A great band of guys with some great new music. Most of the band is comprised of members of Charm City Devils, a relatively well established rock band, so it's no surprise the album literally rocks. But (again because I'm an awful fan) the new album really did impress me and go above my expectations. The album is made up of 6 songs (at $5.99 that's less than $1 a song - what a deal!), but I'm just gonna talk about my top three. My number one favorite on this EP is Flirting with the Devil, track five. Honestly it sounds like a The Pretty Reckless (my favorite current band) song, and in fact I started playing "Take Me Down" (The Pretty Reckless) on top of "Flirting with the Devil (STONE HORSES) and I think I made something because it...

Title: The Unraveling of Avery Snow Author: Christy Sloat Series: The Past Lives, book 2 About the Author (Amazon): Christy Sloat is a SoCal born girl who resides in New Jersey currently with her husband, two daughters and Sophie her Chihuahua. Christy has embraced the love of reading and writing since her youth and was inspired by her grandmother’s loving support. Christy passes that love of reading, writing, and creativity to her daughters, family, and friends. When you do not find Christy within the pages of a book you can find her being mommy, wife, crafter, and dear friend. She loves adventurous journeys with her friends and can be known to get lost inside a bookstore. Be sure to venture into her Past Lives Series, The Visitor’s Series, and watch for many more exciting things to come.  Check out her website www.christysloat.com Blog http://christysloat.blogspot.com/, Facebook: Christy Sloat Author www.facebook.com/christysloatauthor. Twitter: ChristySloat Book Su...

Title: The Many Lives of Avery Snow Author: Christy Sloat Series: The Past Lives, book 1 About the Author (Amazon): Christy Sloat is a SoCal born girl who resides in New Jersey currently with her husband, two daughters and Sophie her Chihuahua. Christy has embraced the love of reading and writing since her youth and was inspired by her grandmother’s loving support. Christy passes that love of reading, writing, and creativity to her daughters, family, and friends. When you do not find Christy within the pages of a book you can find her being mommy, wife, crafter, and dear friend. She loves adventurous journeys with her friends and can be known to get lost inside a bookstore. Be sure to venture into her Past Lives Series, The Visitor’s Series, and watch for many more exciting things to come.  Check out her website www.christysloat.com Blog http://christysloat.blogspot.com/, Facebook: Christy Sloat Author www.facebook.com/christysloatauthor. Twitter: ChristySloat Book Sum...