Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers: February 2025

Friday, February 28, 2025

Get ready for National Reading Month with Twirl Books!

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're closing out the month of February by welcoming in the next! That's right! March is National Reading Month. In this month people, especially children, read a lot more in celebration and reading is one of the best habits to develop; it strengthens the mental muscles, helps to improve comprehension and analytical abilities, and increases imagination and boosts memory. In that vein, we've got a roundup of Board Book titles AVAILABLE NOW via Twirl Books that are ready to encourage young ones to development good reading habits from the word GO! With the range of subjects covered and their sturdy hands-on design, there's a little something for everyone...

My Hand is the Sun

by Christina Naumann-Villemin

Illustrated by Geraldine Cosneau

9782408056025

A great way to get the creative juices flowing and encourage the imagination to run wild, this tiny tome shows readers just how many things a simple drawing of a hand can become! I love the added textures in the images. The tactile aspect brings it THAT much more to life. Can YOU think of anything your hand outline can become besides a sun? I wonder if you'll guess any of those ideas presented within!

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Look! What is That?

by Tristan Mory

9782408056018

I admit, this book got the best of me the first time I read it! You're following a little baby as animals try to understand what he is exactly, but with each turn of the page, another critter is introduced. Once you reach the end, baby's person scoops them up for a hug, and while it was sweet, I was perplexed. Why? Because...there are these little cut outs on each page where the animals would seemingly be imagined to be...and you DON'T have to imagine them! Seriously, take a pull on the little bumps and lumps that appear in each indent along the way for a BIG furry surprise!

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Animals at Home

by Xavier Deneux

9791027613274

A chance to explore the homes of our furry and feathered friends with striking black, white, and a shock of color imagery, and a simple yet eye catching popup effect throughout...I can't imagine a little one that wouldn't jump at the chance to read this one!

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Bedtime Kisses

by Elisabeth de Lambilly

Illustrated by Melisande Luthringer

9791027613167

A charming way to say goodnight that colorfully illustrates just how those in the animal world bid the day adieu too! It's sweet, and tender, while reminding little ones that while they close their eyes and drift off to Dreamland, they are still very much loved, and very much taken care of here in the real world.

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Special thanks to Twirl Books and the Blue Slip Media team for the copies for review. (THANKS!) For more information on these titles, or their growing catalog, feel free to click through the links provided above. The titles featured are newly available this month, so they should be readily available at your favorite online or brick and mortar retailer today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Rockstar Book Tours presents... GREETING CARDS FOR EXES by Rebekah L. Purdy - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi everyone!

Thrilled to be hosting a spot on the GREETING CARDS FOR EXES by Rebekah L. Purdy Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. If you live for romcom fun between the pages, this is one you've got to add to your TBR. So, check out my post, make sure to enter the giveaway, and then visit the other sites on the roster for more bookish fun!

GREETING CARDS FOR EXES

By Rebekah L. Purdy

Pub. Date: February 4, 2025

Publisher: Rowan Prose Publishing

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/u/bQlRpD

“Purdy presents a beautifully complex array of characters that touch your heart.” –A Bookish Escape

Piper Mishner has spent the last year trying to get over her ex, which is hard to do after he decides to move into the apartment next to hers with his new fiancé. As if she needs the reminder of how painful the breakup was. Not to mention, her job as a greeting card writer is now at risk due to her cynicism about love.

“I’m bored with you and need a change.” The infamous words of Kerrie Holloway’s ex-husband, who doesn’t seem to understand the concept of being an “ex” since he wants her to pretend for their kids and family that they’re still together. While dating others and living in the same house. She gets a job in sales at a greeting card company, and is finally on the way to saving for her own place.

Maude Gilchrist has spent over fifty years married to the same man. A man who, one day, just leaves. No goodbye. No explanation. He was just gone. Bitter and alone, she decides to postpone retirement from the greeting card company. Although writing sappy cards about love is the last thing she wants to do.

Through lunch hour talks, weekend getaways, and drunken brawls, the ladies of All For You Greeting Cards Company help heal one another’s wounds and learn there are more important things in life than having a man. There may be a generational gap, but they all have the “ex-factor” in common. Everyone needs a friend by their side. Someone to talk to, laugh with, complain to, watch your back…and to go to jail with you.

Fans of Ashley Poston, Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, Christina Lauren, Mia Sheridan, and Kristin Hannah will enjoy "Greeting Cards For Exes" by Rebekah L. Purdy.

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Filled with humor, heart, lessons learned, and the strength of female friendship, this book is the perfect accompaniment for a weekend escape. Whether you're looking to laugh (the antics Piper employs to initially escape her ex!), cry (not full on tears, but definitely water filled eyes for Kerrie's sitch, and why on earth she feels the need to do ANYTHING he wanted!), or marvel at the possible WHY (still WTH-ing at Maude's sudden single-dom status), there's a feeling to feel, a sentiment to get behind, a soul to be affected by in this story. The woman are relatable, sometimes regrettably so (just given their circumstances because they themselves are AMAZING 👏), and I can easily see calling any one of them friend. I love the fact that they find strength within each other to pull themselves out of their present and step into their futures, and appreciate the chance to smile, laugh, and cheer them on along the way.

A great pick for Contemporary Fiction as well as Women's Fiction fans, and I can't wait to see what this author brings to the bookshelf next!

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About the author...

Rebekah L. Purdy is an army veteran, born and raised in Michigan. She works full time for the court system and, in her free time, she writes YA stories across many genres, with more than 15 titles to date. She has a large family, including furbabies. "Greeting Cards for Exes" is her first women's fiction book.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.

Ends March 8^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

2/3/2025	Two Chicks on Books	Guest Post/IG Post
2/4/2025	Daily Waffle	Guest Post
2/5/2025	Fire and Ice Reads	Guest Post/IG Post
2/6/2025	The Eclectic Review	Interview/IG Post
2/7/2025	Frugal Freelancer	Excerpt/IG Post

Week Two:

2/10/2025	One More Exclamation	Excerpt/IG Post
2/11/2025	@callistoscalling	IG Post
2/12/2025	Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
2/13/2025	@dharashahauthor	IG Post
2/14/2025	@tartan_teapotsandbooks_croft	IG Review

Week Three:

2/17/2025	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
2/18/2025	Lifestyle of Me	Review/IG Post
2/19/2025	Edith's Little Free Library	IG Post/LFL Book Drop Pic/TikTok Post
2/20/2025	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
2/21/2025	@dana.loves.books	Review/IG Post

Week Four:

2/24/2025	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
2/25/2025	rolo_the_book_lover-	IG Review/TikTok Post
2/26/2025	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
2/27/2025	anitralovesbooksanddogs	Review/IG Post
2/28/2025	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

AWARENESS TOUR: Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story by Karen B. Winnick - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to another bookish day here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. Today's book fest features a Non-Fiction Picture Book that's currently touring with The Children's Book Review. The featured title on this AWARENESS TOUR shares the story of how one of nature's predators needed more than just its space, but OUR HELP, and how that isn't as uncommon as you might think. Let's take a closer look...

Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story

Written and Illustrated by

Karen B. Winnick

Ages: 7-9 | 40 Pages

9798886452846

Greenleaf Book Group (2025)

About the book...

Where did all the wolves go? The birds, the fish, and the beavers? When the top predator was wiped out, the balance of nature in Yellowstone National Park was disrupted. The circle was broken.

Written in a lyrical style, Why Wolves Matter is an ecological tale that helps children to understand the interconnectedness of all things in the natural world. Once all the wolves were gone, the elk population grew so large that the trees and vegetation on which they fed disappeared, throwing the Park and the remaining wildlife into disarray.

A nonfiction picture book, including a timeline and bibliography, Why Wolves Matter is about the importance of the top predator in nature, how balance was restored in Yellowstone National Park, and how the circle was made whole again—with important historical and scientific relevance for children.

A deeply committed animal person, Karen B. Winnick has created many picture books about animals. She’s a member of an oversight commission for the Los Angeles Zoo, and a member and supporter of many groups working to save animals, including wolves.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Bookshop.org

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This book is a great resource for kiddos (and readers of all ages, really) to get a better look at the effects on basically EVERYTHING when even one important piece is removed from the "circle of life". When you think about wolves being gone, or their numbers so greatly reduced that it seems as if they are... some only see protection for their cattle or other animals, less nuisances in their neighborhoods, and less nighttime noise. While yes, some of that may be true, we have to look at the other side of things, and even the middle ground, to capture the TRUE effects. Simple solutions to some of those problems...better fencing and monitoring of areas where animals are housed, and populations staying out of natural habitats that belong to these animals to allow them space; of course, you can't tell mankind not to keep moving forward. The thing is once those numbers were depleted, other effects were felt because the GOOD that they did in nature and their environment was no longer being carried out. You can't have one without the other. Luckily, people stepped in that took time to understand the new problem created, helped educate others on what needed to be done, and now that circle, that balance, has been restored. Could it happen again? What about with other creatures? Certainly... but with education, the hope that it won't shines brighter. That's one thing I love about edutainment books like this...it presents BIG IDEAS in a way that's EASY TO UNDERSTAND and extends the ideas presented further even by giving us the BIGGER PICTURE. It's not just the one that's affected. What seems like a small change has ripple effects that reach beyond the initial impact. So I can't help but ask... what ripples will YOU start today?

A great read for the classroom as well as the home setting. I can easily see it being reached for by animal lovers of all ages as it helps to share the success of one endeavor, and cultivates ideas in others to help prevent those circumstances in the future. The beautiful illustrations help bring the whole tale from the page into our everyday life, while showing readers the works of art that exist in nature.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Winnick is an author and illustrator of Why Wolves Matter, Can You Spot the Leopard: An African Safari, Good Night, Baby Animals, Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers, Sybil’s Night Ride, Lucy’s Cave, A Year Goes Round, Barn Sneeze, Cassie’s Sweet Berry Pie, Sandro’s Dolphin and Patch & The Strings. She is the author of The Night of the Fireflies. Her paintings have been exhibited in local galleries, and her poetry has been published in magazines and anthologies. She has also produced a play, Kindertransport, about Jewish children sent to England during WWII.

Karen serves as President of the Board of Commissioners for the Los Angeles Zoo; the Board of Trustees Emeritus at Brown University; the Board of Trustees at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library; the Board of Trustees of Fauna and Flora, International and the Board of Governors Syracuse University Hillel. She has also served on the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Museum in New York and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council in Washington, D.C.

Karen received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University. She also studied in Florence, Italy, at NYU, the School of Visual Arts, and at the University of California, Los Angeles.

For more information, visit karenbwinnick.com.

https://www.instagram.com/karenbwinnick/

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GIVEAWAY

Readers who join us on this virtual tour can win a hardcover copy of Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story. One lucky winner will receive a signed hardcover copy and a $25 gift card to Amazon. Don’t miss out on your chance to win below!

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Special thanks to The Children's Book Review for the chance to bring this title to you and to author Karen B. Winnick for the copy for review! (THANKS!) This post is sponsored by Karen B. Winnick. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view. For more information on this author, her other works, the illustrator, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, February 17, 2025

The Children’s Book Review