Plastic Canvas Kindle Case

I made this case for my Kindle Paperwhite using plastic canvas. I'd been looking for a case, but couldn't find one I liked so I improvised. I didn't have a pattern, so I just used the Kindle as a template and thankfully got the measurements right. I love it!

You can check out my other craft projects over at Beauty and the Art of Craft!

Happy Crafting!

-Melly

Kindle Fire Giveaway!

Kindle Fire HD Giveaway!

The winner will have the option of receiving a Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

This giveaway is sponsored by these Authors:




The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson

One Classic Latin Lover, Please by Marcia Lynn McClure

Betrayal by Anne Patrick

Belleyache by Crystal Marcos

Ethan Justice: Origins by Simon Jenner

I Have People by Taylor Dean

For What It's Worth by Karey White

A Kiss of Ashen Twilight by Rae Lori

The Unraveling by Holly Barbo

Fateful by Cheri Schmidt

Dracian Legacy by Priya Kanaparti

Cascade Brides by Bonnie Blythe
A World Apart by Camelia Miron Skiba
Reality Bites, Tales of a Half-Vampire by Shaunda Wenger
Face-Off by Stacy Juba
Two Equals by Marta Szemik

The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw by Suzy Turner
One for Kami by Charlene A. Wilson

Freak of Nature by Julia Crane

Grace Doll by Jennifer Laurens

The Secret of the Scarlet Stone by T.L. Clarke

Gallagher's Hope by M.K. McClintock

The Spy Lover & Prize Winning Pacific Stories by Kiana Davenport

Rejected by Heather Bixler
Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy Bennett

A Hard Act to Follow by Henry Bushkin

Starseed by Liz Gruder

Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (Internaitonal).
Ends 2/28/13


Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Every Day" by David Levithan

I picked up this book for two reasons: the first being that I was able to check it out at the library for my kindle, the second being that it's by David Levithan.  I haven't read very much of his work (yet), but have loved everything that I have read.  Every Day is no exception.  I loved it!  Something that I especially enjoyed is that I haven't read anything that I can really compare this book to.  A wakes up every day as a new person.  For 24 hours, he inhabits the body of someone new.  Sometimes they are male, sometimes female, but they are always the same age as A.  It also seems that they were always located in the same area geographically (as I recall this was a minor detail.  There wasn't too much detail but I like that it was addressed).  Most days are the same- he learns how to blend as the person he is currently inhabiting.  He does his best to keep from allowing any questions to be asked, to keep from being noticed.  But of course this all changes they day he meets Rhiannon.  Suddenly she is the only motivation and he will do whatever it takes to be with her, even revealing his secret to her- and accidentally revealing to one of his "hosts" that something had taken over his mind and body.

I really didn't know much about this book before starting it. Sometimes I see a name attached to a book and don't even bother reading the description before I read the book.  In a way this is really nice because I don't start with any misconceptions about the plot and I don't go in expecting certain questions to be answered.  I just loved that this felt like a wholly original plot.  Again, I can't really compare it to other books that I have read (though there's probably some other title(s) out there like this book, but I just haven't come across them yet).  A is a very interesting character.  A has no physical description and no real gender (though in my head, A's presence was always male, no clue why.  Probably because the first person we meet A as is male?  I don't know.  Not that important really, but this is why I keep referring to A as "he.").  It was also really interesting to see how Levithan created all of the characters in this book and how he was able to intertwine so many of their stories.  This was one of those books that I was actually a little sad when I had finished it.  It had a good ending, but I wasn't ready for the story to end.  It will definitely go on a re-read list at some point.

Happy Reading!

-Melly

"Hollowmen" by Amanda Hocking

I went into this book with fairly high expectations.  I had read a few reviews for it and found that the majority of them were negative, but that didn't deter my excitement- mainly because a lot of the reviews complained about characters that got killed/zombified.  Well of course characters were going meet a horrible end!  I personally feel that it takes a great writer to be able to kill off their carefully crafted characters.  None of us wanted characters to die in Harry Potter but we all expected it.  So I ignored the reviews and dove right into Amanda Hocking's Hollowmen.  I am sad to say that this novel fell a little flat.

Most of the novel was great.  There was plenty of fear and suspense, scenes that made me squirm with squeamishness (expected from a zombie novel) and what I thought were believable characters and events given the situation.  I was really digging the book until I got to about 97% complete (I do love this feature of the Kindle).  At that moment I realized that I wasn't going to like the ending.  I knew that there was not enough time to give the novel the kind of ending that I thought it deserved.  As much as I loved the majority of the book, the ending caused my entire rating to go down.  I could probably re-read this book, as long as I skipped the last chapter and pretended that something much more eventful and amazing took place instead.  It felt like Hocking had a deadline that she just wasn't going to be able to meet, so she quickly came up with a "happily ever after" that left a few too many lose ends for my taste.

After facing horrible experiments in the quarantine, Remy finally is on her way to once again reunite with her brother Max.  Like Hollowland, she uses what little resources are available to defend herself and those around her from the hordes of zombies.  I have to commend Hocking for her ability to make a story that focuses quite a bit on characters travelling from one location to another not seem horribly boring.  Remy is a strong character that I can easily look up to.  She does whatever she possibly can to protect those around her and spends little time focusing on her own needs before the needs of others.  She is a character I can easily get behind.

I'm not sure where I stand on recommending this book.  I wanted to love it.  I almost loved it.  Had there just been a little more focus on the ending I would have loved it.  It would be a little easier to recommend if Hollowland was $2.99 and Hollowmen was the free novel, but as that is not the case I guess it is up to all of you to decide if you will like this book or not.



Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Who Was Anne Frank?" by Ann Abramson

 Who Was Anne Frank? by Ann Abramson.


I wasn't thrilled with this book unfortunately.  It is very similar to any Anne Frank biography for children; it contains the basic facts but doesn't go into the gory details of World War II.  I am fine with this.  However, I wasn't happy with the Kindle version of the book.  I found multiple typos from misspelled names to words with missing letters.  I checked this out through my library for free and would have been horribly disappointing had I purchased it and then found the mistakes (I am assuming the typos are only in the Kindle addition, but do not have a hard copy available to verify this).  Again, this book is perfectly acceptable for a brief synopsis of Franks life, but for more details and history I felt that the books listed in the further reading would be a much better choice if you were to pick up a book on the life of Anne Frank.  Overall, I would suggest taking a good look at this book before you make any real decisions and it might be best to avoid the kindle version for the time being.


Recommended Anne Frank books:

• Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife by Francine Prose
• Anne Frank and the Children of the Holocaust by Carol Ann Lee (and several other by her too!)
• The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank by Willy Lindwer
• Anne Frank: The Biography by Melissa Muller
• Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary - A Photographic Remembrance by Ruud Van der Rol
• Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family by Miep Gies

"Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble" D. Robert Pease

This book was a bit too much science fictiony for me, but it was still an enjoyable read. Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble by  D. Robert Pease tells the story of Noah, a member of the only family allowed to travel through time.  Their mission is to go back in time and collect two of each animal in their ARC (a rather impressive space ship) in hopes of repopulating earth with an animal kingdom in the future.  But of course, an evil mastermind has a plan to stop the Zarc family from succeeding.  This book takes the reader everywhere- the ice age where we meet an awesome cave girl, to a city on the planet Mars, to Earth in a thousand years from now.  Noah Zarc presents an interesting new spin on the theory of time travel.

Though the book doesn't meet my usual taste in what I read, I still felt myself caught up in this strange world.  This is a great book for middle grade boys who just can't get enough of futuristic reads or those interested in a bit of history- it has some of both!  It seems that books set in the future are going to be a trend in youth literature for awhile- I can't wait to read more!

Check out Pease on Twitter, Facebook and on Goodreads.



My interview with D. Robert Pease!

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Happy Birthday to Me Again" by Brian Rowe

A while back I reviewed Brian Rowe's Happy Birthday to Me.  Cameron and Liesel are back in Happy Birthday to Me Again, only this time, when Cameron gets cursed he begins aging backwards- an entire year every day!  How on earth will he get out of this one?

I found this book to be a little less predictable than the first, a huge plus in my opinion (however, I was not at all surprised by the final reveal at the very end of the novel- woman's intuition perhaps?).  Sometimes the situations are a little unbelievable, but considering the main premise, this is okay.  It is clear that Cameron still has a lot of growing up to do, but that works for his character.  If you liked Happy Birthday to Me, then this is an absolute must read!

If you have started these books, the third and final book, Happy Birthday to You is now available!

Connect with Brian:
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Hollowland" by Amanda Hocking

Only Amanda Hocking could right a zombie novel I would actually enjoy (though, to be fair, I've never tried to read a zombie novel, but picked this one up because it's by Hocking).  Hollowland, the first in The Hollows  series, is the story of Remy, one of the few survivors in a zombie investation, on a mission to find her brother who was evacuated from their "secure" quarentine when it is attacked by said zombies.  Remy sets out across the country with nothing more than the supplies in her messenger bag, a single gun for protection, and two young girls that follow her out of the quarantine.  She only knows that her brother has been moved to another site somewhere in the north.  Along the way, Remy and crew set out on an extremely dangerous journey.  Not only will they encounter zombies (of course!) but some of the most excentric characters I have seen in a long time.

One thing you should know about me; I am over-the-top squeamish about many things.  You will not catch me watching medical shows or movies filled with blood and gore.  Yet, somehow I read (and enjoyed this book).  Yes, there were a few times that my stomach turned because of the descriptions- zombie blood sounds absolutely lovely by the way- but I still found myself eager to find out what would happen next.

I have read by My Blood Approves and Switched by Hocking.  Hollowland is yet another series that I am excited to complete.  Like many, many books, my biggest complaint is that it ends on a major cliffhanger.  Of course I cannot wait to get a copy of Hollowmen and find out how Remy fares.  Until then, I have a lot of other books to read!

Another cool thing about this book?  It is currently available for free on the Kindle!

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Happy Birthday to Me" by Brian Rowe

I am so excited by my Kindle.  Reading just got even easier!  My most recent read is Happy Birthday to Me by Brian Rowe.  I wasn't horribly surprised with how the plot developed, but still thought it was a good read.  Cameron is a stereotypical popular jock; is on top of the world, has a gorgeous girlfriend, and has everything he could possibly want.  But of course that isn't enough.  Cameron is constantly using his "birthday" to his advantage..  It may seem like a harmless way to get free dessert, but what happens when his lies go to far?

Cameron begins to wake each day as though he has aged an entire year.  Soon his entire life begins to unravel.  Knowing that his life has been cut short and that the end is very near, will Cameron get his act together and change his ways before it's too late?

I read this book rather quickly, it kept my interest easily.  I am anxious to read the sequel Happy Birthday to Me Again.

Connect with Brian:
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Happy Reading
-Melly

"Raven" by Suzy Turner

The first book I read on my new Kindle!!

A great fantasy story for fans of the Twilight saga.  Lilly is growing up in a repressed world.  She doesn't realized that her classmates receive gifts on their birthday, eat non-straight-from-the-can dinners, and have parents that show love for their children.  Every day is exactly the same.  The only bright spot is when she is spending time at school with her best (and only friend), December.  It isn't until Lilly's parents mysteriously vanish does Lilly begin to realize how strange her life has been.

Her life is turned upside down (though not in a completely bad way) when she is sent to live in Canada with family that she never knew she had.  Lilly begins to discover secrets about her family and secrets about herself.  She also finds out that this is not the first time family members have suddenly gone missing.

Though I haven't read it, I suspect that fans of Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush will also enjoy Suzy Turner's Raven.  From what I have heard, I think they are somewhat similar.  I am not really a fan of fantasy (I may have said this before) but I enjoyed Raven and found it to be an easy and enjoyable read.  If you enjoy reading about vampires, people that transform into animals and vials of blood, then this is a book for you!



Visit Suzy on: Twitter, Facebook, and Blogspot!
And check out the sequel, December Moon!




Happy Reading!
-Melly