Guest Post: Uncle John's Bathroom Reader for Kids Only!

I am excited to host a tour stop for Uncle John's Bathroom Reader for Kids Only! I have a toddler at home and I know that this book will become a favorite in a few years.  One thing I love about books like this is that they appeal to reluctant readers.  As a certified reading specialist and a former middle school English teacher, I always get excited when I come across books that appeal to readers that don't necessarily love reading.  This book is one of those…kids will forget they are reading, because it's so much fun! (A few of my favorite topics in the book: Gross Body Facts, Baseball Superstitions, The Kid Who Peed Out the Fire, How Alice Got to Wonderland and Beware: Haunted Houses.) Hilarious and entertaining, right? To learn more about this blog tour, check out the tour page here.

I had to ask Gordon Javna, author of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader for Kids Only, how this book appeals to reluctant readers and what makes this book so much fun for kids? Here is what he said:

The topics are weird (and fun). The articles are short (and fun). Between the articles there are jokes (fun), brainteasers (fun), lists (fun), and quotes to make you think (fun). And at the bottom of every page is an interesting, odd, mind-boggling factoid that you can repeat to someone and impress them with your knowledge (and there’s nothing more fun than that!)

About Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader For Kids Only!:

• Goodreads
• Get a Copy: Amazon | Uncle John's Online Store

Here is an exciting chance to own the very first Uncle John's Bathroom Reader For Kids Only! in a hardcover edition with all new illustrations!

When our younger readers demanded a Bathroom Reader of their own, Uncle John put together this brain-boggling easy-to-read collection of facts, fads, quotes, history, science, origins, pop culture, mythology, humor, and more! Plus it's full of wacky and fun illustrations and Uncle John's famous "running feet" — those fun and fascinating facts on the bottom of every page.

Curious young readers will learn about the real Dr. Seuss, baseball superstitions, the birth of The Simpsons, how carnival games are rigged, the history of dining on scorpions and tarantulas, shocking truths about thunder and lightning, and disgusting bodily functions like ear wax production and digestion (and why they're important), and much, much more..

About Gordon Javna:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Google+

The life of Gordon “Uncle John” Javna, editor-in-chief and publisher of the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader series, reads like one of his books. There’s a lot of fun, intriguing—often odd—information lurking around every corner. He went to art school, and then went on to become a musician, real-estate developer, writer, restaurateur, president of a pre-school, brew pub owner, and editor—not all at once, mind you, but he has been all of these things.

Eventually, though, he realized that because of his love of fascinating facts (and being a bathroom reader himself), he was naturally suited, perhaps even destined, to bring the joy of trivia to the world in a fun, informative way. He assumed the pseudonym Uncle John for the Bathroom Reader series and since then, Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader has become the longest-running, most popular series of its kind in the publishing industry.  To date, there are more than 15 million Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers in print and his fanatical flock of followers span from Australia to the United Kingdom and beyond.

Guided by their obsession with unusual trivia, amazing origins, and forgotten history, Gordon “Uncle John” Javna and his staff at the Bathroom Readers' Institute have made Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers a must-have for book and gift stores worldwide for over two decades.  Gordon continues to expand his porcelain province from his throne room in Ashland, Oregon.

Tour Schedule:

• Monday, June 30th -  Candace's Book Blog
• Tuesday, July 1st - Cindy's Love of Books
• Wednesday, July 2nd - Proud Book Nerd
• Thursday, July 3rd  - Bumbles and Fairy-Tales
• Friday July 4th - Cassandra M's Place

• Monday, July 7th  - Sweet Southern Home
• Tuesday, July 8th - Confessions of a Book Addict
• Wednesday, July 9th - Little Red Reads
• Thursday, July 10th  - Me, My Shelf and I
• Friday July 11th  - Bewitched Bookworms

• Monday, July 14th - Kindle and Me
• Tuesday, July 15th  - Snowdrop Dreams of Books
• Wednesday, July 16th  - Hott Books
• Thursday, July 17th  - alwaysjoart
• Friday July 18th - Captivated Reading

A big thank you to Gordan Javna for visiting today and thanks to Kismet Blog Touring for having me as a stop on this tour.

Book Review: Empire Girls by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan

Pages: 304

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: May 27, 2014

Source: Goodreads First Reads 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "The critically acclaimed authors of I'll Be Seeing You return with a riveting tale of two sisters, set in the intoxicating world of New York City during the Roaring Twenties. Ivy and Rose Adams may be sisters, but they're nothing alike. Rose, the eldest, is the responsible one, while Ivy is spirited and brazen. After the unexpected death of their father, the women are left to reconcile the estate, when they make a shocking discovery: not only has their father left them in financial ruin, but he has also bequeathed their beloved family house to a brother they never knew existed. With only a photograph to guide the way, Ivy and Rose embark to New York City, determined to find this mysterious man and reclaim what is rightfully theirs. Once in New York, temptations abound at every turn, and soon the sisters are drawn into the glitzy underbelly of Manhattan, where they must overcome their differences and learn to trust each other if they're going to survive in the big city and find their brother. Filled with unforgettable characters and charm, Empire Girls is a love letter to 1920s New York, and a captivating story of the unspoken bond between sisters."

Rose and Ivy Adams live in the country with their father. Rose is more reserved and takes care of the household since their mother dead years ago and Ivy is more of an outgoing dreamer with not much responsibility.  When their father dies unexpectedly, Rose assumes he will leave the house to her as she is the one that has taken care of the family for years, but he surprisingly left it to an unknown man named Asher.  This unknown man is actually their half brother, a brother they never knew existed.  They need to find him as their father left his financial affairs in ruin and they find out that he is living in New York City.  The only problem is that many sources say Asher has disappeared since he returned from the war.  Rose and Ivy are determined to find him, but each for different reasons. While looking her brother, Ivy has her mind set on exploring the exciting world of Jazz Age New York City.  Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan's Empire Girls is a fun romp through 1920s New York City and includes a family mystery that will keep readers flipping the pages.  

While I really didn't connect with either sister in Empire Girls, I still enjoyed the characters of Rose and Ivy.  Rose is a talented seamstress and goes to New York City with the hope to find Asher and then plans to leave the city immediately whereas Ivy, the aspiring actress and party girl, sees New York City as an adventure.  Both sisters sort of drove me nuts, because they are polar opposites and really had a hard time relating to each other.  However, I liked how New York City brought Rose out of her shell, especially when she meets Sonny, a guy that she starts to have feelings for.  Rose realizes that perhaps the city isn't so bad after all.

The mystery of Asher's whereabouts kept me flipping the pages in Empire Girls.  Rose and Ivy knew that people were keeping secrets about Asher and they were determined to get to the bottom of it.  The more they learned about Asher, the more they realized there was so much they didn't know about their father as he had many secrets.

The setting of New York City in the 1920s was fantastic. Hayes and Nyhan did a great job of bringing the city to life and the exciting time of speakeasies, bob haircuts, flapper dresses, and the fun of Coney Island on a hot summer day.

If you are looking for a historical read this summer that has an interesting mystery, family secrets, and two sisters who learn about life and love in New York City in the 1920s, then check out Empire Girls this summer.  

Happy 4th of July and a Gently Used ARC Giveaway

For those of you that celebrate, Happy 4th of July! I hope there are fireworks, BBQ, fun cocktails, the beach or pool and of course, a good book! I'm headed to the beach for a long weekend and hoping that it includes all of the above.

I have a few ARCs that are gently used (meaning I read them), but they are in great condition.  I am hoping to pass them along to other readers, so they can enjoy them as well.  I have linked my review with the book title in case you were interested in my thoughts on the book.

There will be two winners. Winners will get to pick a few books from the list. I am hoping to find new homes for all of the books, so I may pick more winners if need be. This giveaway is US only (sorry!) as I am funding this giveaway myself.  The deadline is July 15th and please refer to my giveaway rules.  Good luck!

  Foreplay by Sophie Jordan (new adult)

 The Falconer by Elizabeth May (young adult)

 One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern (adult fiction)

The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher (young adult)

Summer on the Short Bus by Bethany Crandell (young adult)

 The Deepest Night (The Sweetest Dark #2) by Shana Abe (young adult)

Empire Girls by Suzanne Hayes & Loretta Nyhan (adult historical fiction) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy 4th of July!

Enjoy your weekend,

Waiting on Wednesday: First, There Was Forever

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.  "Waiting on Wednesday" spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.

First, There Was Forever by Juliana Romano

Pub. Date: February 24, 2015

Goodreads says, "Lima and Hailey have always been best friends: Lima shy and sensitive, Hailey funny and free-spirited. But Hailey abandons Lima to party with the popular kids and pursue Nate, her disinterested crush. As their friendship falters, Lima and Nate begin spending more time together. And before Lima knows what she’s feeling, she and Nate do something irreversible. Something that would hurt Hailey....if she knew it happened. Lima thinks she’s saving her friendship by lying, but she’s only buying time. As the secrets stack up, Lima is forced to make a choice: between her best friend forever, and the boy who wasn’t meant to be hers."

The blurb for this book says it's for fans of Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty and Huntley Fitzpatrick's My Life Next Door. When I read that, I immediately added this book to my TBR list.  It sounds right my alley. What do you guys think?

Top Ten Tuesday: Classics I Want to Reread

This week Top Ten Tuesday is all about classic literature and I chose to focus on which classics I would love to reread. This is a fun topic for me as I was an English major in college and love classic literature.  It was tough to narrow it to ten, but let me know what you think! (Sshhh…I cheated a bit and added some volumes of poetry I'd love to reread!). 

1.  Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - I was obsessed with this series as a kid and would love to revisit it.  I even bought a brand new hardback copy for my "favorites" book shelf!

2.  Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - I read this book in middle school and then reread it a few years later. I absolutely love it and I think I am due for a re-read soon!

3.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - I have reread this multiple times and it never gets old.

4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Mr. Darcy. Need I say more?

5. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas - I love this story of revenge, love and adventure. 

6. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - For the most part, I loved the latest version of Gatbsy with DiCaprio. It has inspired me to reread this book.

7. The Poetry of Robert Frost by Robert Frost - I could always use more Frost in my life. I love his poetry.

8.  New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver - I also love her poetry and have a copy of it on my coffee table now. She never gets old.

9.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - I haven't read this book since high school and would love to reread it with "older" eyes.

10.  The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot - I remember being so impressed by this book in college. It was one of those situations where I thought I would hate it, but I ended up loving it.  It definitely deserves a reread.

What classics do you want to reread? Which ones are your favorite classics?  Let me know!  This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, so check it out!