RRR presents... Santa's Early Christmas by Lily Lawson - REVIEW!

Ready for the influx of holiday reading? Need a few suggestions to kick things off? Today's Rachel's Random Resources tour features a storybook title with a dash of humor that's perfect for all ages. 🎄 So, if you've been naughty or nice, this is a family friendly read you won't have to think twice about! Ladies and gents, today's ebook of choice is...

Santa's Early Christmas

by

Lily Lawson

Last year Santa was hungry and thirsty by the time he delivered all the presents. But when he came home there was no food and drink left! This year Santa decides things are going to be different.

---> GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY <---

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A quick story time read that plays off the children's holiday classics of old by utilizing clever rhymes and meter to share the tale of just why Santa started his own holiday early! It's not what you think. He's not hijacking Christmas, but rather choosing to not miss out on all the tasty goodies made at this time of year! He indulges in many yuletide favorites, snags a nap, and is ready to ride with Rudolph guiding the way. It's a tale of responsible holiday indulging with a chuckle and a grin to spare. Speaking of which...

There's a follow-up poem or two that comes directly after our little tale, and I gotta say the 'You Better Watch Out' one definitely brought on a case of the giggles! Let's just say, this time it's not about Santa watching you, but rather you watching out for reindeer who might not be all that experienced in the flying bit, if you catch my drift. (DUCK!) 😆 

A fun addition to your holiday reading this upcoming season!

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About the author...

Lily Lawson is a poet and fiction writer living in the UK.

She has poetry, short stories, and creative non-fiction published in anthologies and online in addition to her poetry books My Fathers Daughter, A Taste of What’s to Come, and Rainbow’s Red Book of Poetry and her kids’ books Santa’s Early Christmas, The Palm Tree Swingers Island Band and If I Were Invisible…

You can find out more about Lily and read more of her work on her blog.

Subscribers to Life with Lily are the first to hear all her writing news.

You can sign up here.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

ALLAUTHOR

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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you and for the ecopy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

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

Rockstar Book Tours presents... KIN by Carole Boston Weatherford & Jeffery Boston Weatherford - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Today, I'm honored to be hosting a spot on the KIN by Carole Boston Weatherford & Jeffery Boston Weatherford Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my review post, make sure to enter the giveaway, and then click on over to the other sites participating in this event. 

 

Title: KIN: Rooted in Hope

Author: Carole Boston Weatherford & Jeffery Boston Weatherford

Pub. Date: September 19, 2023

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 208

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/KINROOTEDINHOPE 

A powerful portrait of a Black family tree shaped by enslavement and freedom, rendered in searing poems by acclaimed author Carole Boston Weatherford and stunning art by her son Jeffery Boston Weatherford.

I call their names:
Abram Alice Amey Arianna Antiqua
I call their names:
Isaac Jake James Jenny Jim
Every last one, property of the Lloyds,
the state’s preeminent enslavers.
Every last one, with a mind of their own
and a story that ain’t yet been told.
Till now.

Carole and Jeffery Boston Weatherford’s ancestors are among the founders of Maryland. Their family history there extends more than three hundred years, but as with the genealogical searches of many African Americans with roots in slavery, their family tree can only be traced back five generations before going dark. And so from scraps of history, Carole and Jeffery have conjured the voices of their kin, creating an often painful but ultimately empowering story of who their people were in a breathtaking book that is at once deeply personal yet all too universal.

Carole’s poems capture voices ranging from her ancestors to Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman to the plantation house and land itself that connects them all, and Jeffery’s evocative illustrations help carry the story from the first mention of a forebear listed as property in a 1781 ledger to he and his mother’s homegoing trip to Africa in 2016. Shaped by loss, erasure, and ultimate reclamation, this is the story of not only Carole and Jeffery’s family, but of countless other Black families in America.

 

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This was a moving and powerful journey from today through yesteryear, as we follow the bloodlines back, and back again, reaching a part of history best learned from, but not forgotten.

Our history is filled with tragedies, atrocities, and the darkness of man's soul...but despite those heavier times, lessons were gleaned, steps forward were made, and people prospered. We're still not where we want to be, but we've come a long way in what seems like such a short time. Reading the stories of the lives represented between these pages, and taking in the stunning imagery right along side, isn't merely words and pictures, but an experience. It brings this branch of history to life in a way I can't say I've seen or felt before, so much so that as the dots are connected through history you too experience in your own way the strength gained, the disappointment shed, and the stars aligning to make this moment worthy of the discoveries occurring. 

A unique collection that truly has a tale to tell for one family, but also for a people. It's not just the story of one person, but a story that has roots shared by many, and no matter how hard it might be to look at at times, it needs to be seen, known, remembered, and learned from. 

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About Carole Boston Weatherford & Jeffery Boston Weatherford Mother-Son/Author-Illustrator
Duo:

Hailed as “a master” and “the dean” of nonfiction for young people,” Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King  Award winner Carole Boston Weatherford is a New York Times best-seller and two-time NAACP Image Award  winner. Since her 1995 debut, she has authored 70-plus books including four Caldecott Honor winners: Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre; Freedom in Congo Square, Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit  of the Civil Rights Movement, and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. Her books have  won nine Coretta Scott King Awards or Honors. She writes the diverse books that she lacked as a child. 

A Baltimore native and the daughter of educators, Carole was virtually born with ink in her blood. At age six,  she dictated her first poem to her mother. Her father, a high school printing teacher, published a few of her  early poems on the press in his classroom. Meanwhile, her grandmothers passed down oral traditions and  stories. By middle school, Carole had transferred from an all-black public school to a majority-white, private  school where a teacher wrongfully accused her of plagiarism. That slight compelled her to chronicle a more  inclusive history, to amplify marginalized voices and to build monuments with words. 

Now, children’s books are a family affair for Carole. In KIN: Rooted in Hope, she and her son, award-winning  illustrator Jeffery Weatherford embark on a genealogical quest. Through multi-voiced poems and dramatic scratchboard illustrations, mother and son conjure the voices and visages of their forebears. Their ancestors lived through the American Revolution, fought in the Civil War, were enslaved alongside Frederick Douglass,  cofounded Reconstruction-era villages, and according to local lore, descended from African royalty.  

A professor at Fayetteville State University, an HBCU in North Carolina, Carole has been recognized with the  Nonfiction Award from the Children’s Book Guild, the North Carolina Literature Award, the Ragan-Rubin  Award from North Carolina English Teachers Association and a place in the North Carolina Literary Hall of  Fame. She is a life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. 

Jeffery earned his M.F.A. from Howard University where he was a Romare Bearden scholar and studied under  artists from the Black Arts Movement. A rapper and a fine artist, Jeffery has performed or exhibited in  Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Baltimore, North Carolina, West Africa and the Middle East. Jeffery’s first book was  You Can Fly the Tuskegee Airmen, and his first picture book was Call Me Miss Hamilton. Both appeared on best  book of the year lists. 

Website: http://cbweatherford.com Email: cbwpoet@gmail.com  

Publicist: The Literary/Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati (vlloydsgam@aol.com) 

Agent: Rubin Pfeffer Content

 

Sign up for Carole’s newsletter! Scroll to the bottom of the page.

Website | Twitter | Carole Instagram | Jeffrey Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of KIN, US Only.

Ends September 19th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Special thanks to Rockstar Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the publisher for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on this horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.    Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more...

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/4/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
9/4/2023	The Momma Spot	Excerpt
9/5/2023	YA Books Central	Interview
9/5/2023	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
9/6/2023	Book-Keeping	Excerpt/IG Post
9/6/2023	Cara North	Excerpt/IG Post
9/7/2023	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Review/TikTok Post
9/7/2023	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
9/8/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
9/8/2023	A Backwards Story	Excerpt/IG Post

Week Two:

9/11/2023	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
9/11/2023	Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
9/12/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
9/12/2023	Gryffindorbookishnerd	IG Review
9/13/2023	evergirl200	IG Review
9/13/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
9/14/2023	The Litt Librarian	Review/IG Post
9/14/2023	Paperwitchs	Review/IG Post
9/15/2023	@hodophile_z	IG Review
9/15/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post

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

I Knead My Mommy and Other Poems by Kittens by Francesco Marciuliano

Why hello there!

Welcome back to the site that loves nothing more then to spend an afternoon curled up with a good book and her best fur baby, Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  Speaking of fur babies…

Today’s featured title celebrates one particular variety of those cuddly critters that many call family…kittens!  That’s right.  Protect your drapes and grab the lint brush, the baby felines are running amuck and spreading their…wait, poetry?  Yep, poetry!  So, without further adieu, let’s meet today’s book of choice….

I Knead My Mommy And Other Poems by Kittens

By

Francesco Marciuliano

9781452132914

Chronicle Books

From the creative minds that brought us the delightful  I Could Pee on This (reviewed HERE!) and the wondrous I Could Chew on This(also reviewed HERE!), comes the latest collection of furball poetics that is sure to make you laugh, guffaw, smile, and even tear.  Yes, there’s an emotional roller coaster in there and that’s not even taking into account all the “aww” and “how cute” moments you’ll have when glancing through the pictures!  As this is a collection of works as opposed to a story, I’ll stick with a list type format for this review.  What list you may ask?  Why, a list of those passages that stuck with me much like a kitten on their human…in the best possible way of course.  Ready, set…here we go!

Kitten Poetry of Note…to Note

…a few selections at least…

1.        So Small, page 78 – I love the kitten’s turn from “I’m so small” to “Ha Ha!  Take that!”. 

2.       Pretty Kitty, page 60 – One can’t help but chuckle at this kitten’s desire for a name and situation change…I only hope that my pups don’t think the same thing when they wear their clothes. *-*

3.       My Name Is, page 15 – This was actually the poem that drew me in to the collection in the first place.  Too funny…and yet, you can SO see it happening!

4.       Not Goodbye, page 91 – Brought a tear to my eye.  Short and sweet, while showing how much pets are affected by loss too.

5.       While You’re Typing, page 102 – Perhaps not the best passage for writers to read, especially if they have cats that just LOVE the keyboard….when their owners are on it too.  *ahem*  Let’s just say, they may be employing more than simple distraction techniques….

So, in conclusion, a book for kitten fans and non-fans alike.  With mirth and smirks, this release will have you turning pages faster than a cat on a treadmill with a sardine dangling just out of reach.  Read it in a sitting or randomly turn to a page and get your instant pick-me-up for the day!  Revisit your favorites and share with your friends, family, neighbors, cousins, pets….anyone!  It’s a book that’s meant to brighten your day while letting kittens have the run of the place for at least the space of 111 pages.

Review copy received courtesy of the FABULOUS folks at Chronicle Books.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their full catalog, be sure to stop by their official site, follow them on Twitter, and pay a visit to their blog.  This title was scheduled for release the first week of August 2014 (hey, that’s THIS week!), so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or online retailer of your choosing.

Until next time…happy reading!

For the love of...DOGS! I Could Chew on This by Francesco Marciuliano

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers….the site that makes bookish a part of their regular vocabulary, and thinks you should too.  (Just sayin’.)

Well, we’re still celebrating the month of love here on the site, in its many shapes and forms.  Today’s spotlight is shining on one of my FAVORITE types of love….PUPPY LOVE!  No, no, no…not young love or love in its early stages, actual PUPPY LOVE as in a love of pups and all the antics, all the mishaps, all the things they do that make you smile.  So break out the Milky Bones, and hides the dirty laundry, today’s book of choice is coming at you in 3…2…1…

I Could Chew on This…

…and Other Poems by Dogs

By

Francesco Marciuliano

9781452119038

Chronicle Books

They’re BAACCCCKKK…and cuter than ever!  No really, there is MAJOR CUTENESS ahead.  From the author that brought us I Could Pee on This… (reviewed just this week!), comes a collection for dog lovers that should carry a warning.  Yep.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  In fact…

~WARNING~

Cuteness overload may occur from reading the poems within this work.  Symptoms of this syndrome include inability to wipe the smile off your face, an overall jolly nature after turning the final page, a lack of self control when it comes to randomly selecting a passage to read to anyone and everyone in your general vicinity, and a case of the giggles that may prove incurable for short lengths of time.  Proceed with caution.  *dusts hands off*

There.  Hey, fair is fair and I do believe in making sure you know what you’re about to get yourself into.  A level playing field is good for all, and keeps the pups from landing on their muzzles when trying to catch that fly ball you just popped into the end field.  Don’t believe me?  Ah, but you will.  You know how I know?  Because…you’re going to be so tempted by my review that you’re going to run to your local bookstore (or if not quite quick enough, the online retailer of your choice) and pick up a copy to peruse.  Yep.  I would bet good money on it…or at least a box of biscuits.  Though I found the entire work hilarious for a quick pick me up at any given point in a day, I did have a few favorites that I would like to point out….

‘Outside the Store’, Pg 52 – Okay, so it totally helps that the dog pictured on the opposite page is a Yorkie (I’ve had 3 in my lifetime) but this one SO reminds me of my little Ashley (RIP).  Definitely sentiments she would have shared if given the chance as well as the repercussions of me leaving her outside the store later on… *-*

‘Wingman’, Pg 66 – Two words….TOO FUNNY!  You seriously don’t see this one heading in the direction it does until the pup pulls the proverbial rug out from under you.  It will make you laugh out loud, so be careful where you are when you read this one or risk some strange looks.

‘Lassie’, Pg 72 – Guilty as charged; dressing up the dog and all.  My dogs all have raincoats too, though not the galoshes (not for lack of trying to find them, or at least MOM trying to find them), and I do believe they would feel pretty much the same way.  I KNOW my little doxy Winston (RIP) was definitely echoing this pups thoughts when I bought him a new Santa outfit the one year, complete with little gold booties.  *blink blink* What?  He was adorable!  *ahem*

‘The Best Day’, Pg 98 – Combined with the pic of the smiling pup, this is a PERFECT poem for anyone having a bad day.  Really puts you in the right frame of mind…

‘I Could Chew on This’, Pg 110 (see picture above and to the right) – Couldn’t close out my picks without paying homage to the namesake of the book and although it may be the last poem in the book, the combo of words and image are just OMG….CUTENESS OVERLOAD!  It’s just…there are no words that convey the amount of true-ness as well as adorableness that is encompassed within this last entry.  So. Cute.

In conclusion, a great pick for the dog lover in your life or anyone that needs a quick pick me up courtesy of the critter coined as man’s best friend.  Whether taken in small doses or all at once, this is definitely a title that should be on your “to read” list.  Review copy received courtesy of the fab folks at Chronicle Books.  (THANKS!)  For more on this title as well as their complete catalog, be sure to stop by their site or follow the little blue bird…that would be Twitter.

Until next time…happy reading!

For the love of....CATS! I Could Pee on This by Francesco Marciuliano

Why hello again!

Welcome back to the site that’s taking February one love filled day at a time, only bookishly….Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today’s love fest features those cute, cuddly-wuddly, masters of heights, tight spaces and landing on their feet….CATS.  That’s right.  Felines.  Kittens.  Meow masters.  Those whiskered critters that many of us call friend are loose today and wreaking havoc…while bringing a smile to faces near and far.  So get ready to be put in your place by some four legged personas that know they are the cat’s meow.  Today’s book of choice is….

I Could Pee on This…

…and Other Poems by Cats

By

Francesco Marciuliano

9781452110585

Chronicle Books

If I don’t already have your attention with the title, than the picture on the cover is sure to do you in.  I mean, I’m not even a cat person per se (sure they’re cute, but they are also very independent…give me a dog any day of the week that misses me even if I step out for second like it’s been a week) and from page one, I was hooked.  Don’t believe me?  Think I’m over exaggerating about the hair ball-ish wit and wisdom within, do you?  Okay then, I call your bluff and raise you a smile over a shared glass of milk (because really, what would be more appropriate to share with a cat?).  Take a look at a few of my favorite picks from this tabby filled wonder…

‘I Could Pee on This’, Pg 12 – How can you not pay a little homage to the poem that would be so enduring it stuck as the title?  Well, you couldn’t…and neither could I.  If the passage wasn’t enough to make you smile, combine it with the adorable fluffy kitty staring out from the right hand page.  Adorable…and yet, slightly vindictive.

 

‘My Life is Ruined’, Pg 35 – A special moment between cat and human…and the human has to go blabbing about it on Facebook.  Ugh!  What is the world coming to.  Did they not think how the cat would feel about that particular share?  Well, obviously not since we are reading about the cat’s displeasure in print now…

‘And Now We Know’, Pg 59 – An official toilet paper sheet counter, that’s what this cat is.  Though I can’t attest to this being a regular activity of cats personally, upon polling a few friends…I was met with maniacal laughter.  So, short of them all having lost their minds, I do believe this tail may be true….

‘Tiny Boxes’, Pg 66 – What’s cuter than a kitten in a box?  A kitten trying to get OUT of same said tiny box.  No really, with an accompanying photo.  Words cannot express the level of cuteness this provides.

So, are you convinced?  Have you seen the catnip tinged delights that await you within the pages of this little bookish wonder?  The few I’ve mentioned were my personal favorites, but there are many more to choose from, if you should feel the need to do so.  Go ahead, feel the need.  I’m not judging…in fact, I’m applauding!  It may take a lot of restraint to avoid looking at this feel good read throughout the course of your natural day, but really….who cares about all that!?!  Restraint be darned in this case and read it cover to cover or flip to a random passage when in need of a smile.  Trust me, you won’t be sorry.

Recommended for cat lovers, poetry fans and smile-seekers of various ages; younger ones will appreciate the pictures, older ones, the sentiments shared as well.  Special thanks to the fab folks at Chronicle Books for the review copy.  (THANKS!)  To read more on this fur trimmed release as well as their full catalog (including books with and without kittens), be sure to stop by their official site or follow along on Twitter.

Until next time…happy reading!

Four Legged Fiends Strike Again...courtesy of Penguin!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers...the place to be if you're loving life, especially the bookish aspect of it.  

Today, we have a book that celebrates two of my FAVORITE things...READING...and...DOGS!  Yep.  A two in one winning combo that you simply can't go wrong with...well, okay, perhaps that's an over statement.  I mean some of these dogs, or rather the poems submitted on their behalf, ARE a bit on the "off" side of things, but it's harmless fun nonetheless.  Ready to greet today's featured title?  Alrighty then.  I'll just need you to sit, stay, and READ!  Today's book of choice is...

Throw the Damn Ball:

Classic Poetry by Dogs

by

R.D. Rosen, Harry Prichett, and Rob Battles

Yes.  It IS as FUN as the title and cover image lead you to believe.  From sweet to scary, obnoxious to what-in-the-world, there is something to induce laughter, smiles, gasps of surprise, and even tears on every page.  You'll be hard pressed to choose a favorite, or at least stick with a favorite.  I mean, how DO you choose?  It's like having a favorite child in a family of four; it just can't be done.  So, to be fair, I'm choosing to highlight a FEW of my favorites.  *ahem*  Let's see now, there's...


...Jose the "Dog Lord" Chihuahua from New York City (pg 41)...if the picture wasn't enough, the poem reminds you that size is DEFINITELY not everything, and never underestimate the little guy.
...Zooey from New York City (pg 37)...draws you in with her adorable-ness, and steal a tear with her simple yet moving question.
...Jax from Jacksonville, Florida (pg 64)...may be down a paw or two but he has spunkiness to spare.
...Cliff from Newhall, Iowa...who may just have the same sentiments in mind as one of my pups when it comes to the whole cookie business.
...and of course we can't leave out Oscar from New York City (pg 66), whose poem inspired the title of the entire collection!


These are just a few of the wonderfully adorable (and more than likely COMPLETELY sincere) rhyme filled, well worded wonders gracing the pages of this fun little read.  You'll smile at the sentiments, laugh out loud at some of the pics and be reminded just how much joy our four legged friends bring to our lives each and every day.  The only "warning" of sorts I must pass along is that some of the content is not exactly kiddo rated...it's in the minority.  So, if you're looking for something to brighten your day, the day of someone you know, or simply seeking a better insight into the mind of your pooch, this is definitely a title that should be on your MUST READ list.  Even my pups gave it two paws up...and they can be PRETTY darn picky!

Review copy received courtesy of Milena at Penguin Group USA.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their complete catalog, be sure to visit their official site.  To join all the buzz being generated by this new release, check out the Facebook page or follow along on Twitter.  This book reaches publication this month, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf near you.

Until next time....happy reading!