" February 2024 Reads: Monthly Book Stats Revealed!"

Summaries of books that have been read

• Praxis Teaching Reading Elementary 5205 Study Guide: 2 Practice Tests and Exam Prep by Eric Canizales

  • comprehensive resource designed to help aspiring educators prepare for the Praxis exam in teaching reading at the elementary level. This study guide offers a detailed overview of the essential topics and concepts that are covered in the exam, providing students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

• Neon Gods by Katee Robert (Book 1 in the Dark Olympus Series)

  • Society darling Persephone Dimitriou reluctantly agrees to an arranged engagement with Zeus, orchestrated by her ambitious mother. To escape this fate, she strikes a deal with the elusive Hades, offering herself to him for the summer in exchange for his help to leave Olympus. As their arrangement unfolds, Persephone and Hades find themselves entangled in unexpected emotions, leading to a complex and intense relationship that challenges both of them.

• Myths of Babylon by Catherine Taylor, Jake Jackson

  • Babylonian myths from Mesopotamia influenced by Sumeria and Assyrians around 1800 BC showcase human achievement. The myths include the Flood story, creation tale, and the Epic of Gilgamesh. These tales originate from Babylon, a significant city-state with spiritual, economic, and military power, similar to ancient Egypt.

• Will You Talk to Me? by Margie Carstens

  • A picture book story about a young girl learning about the world through nature and poetry.

• The Worst Best Man by Lucy Score

  • The bride and groom are perfect, but the wedding party is a nightmare: rich, vapid, entitled. Maid of Honor Franchesca is determined to handle everything, including a difficult Best Man. Aiden Kilbourn, a successful businessman, doesn't do long-term relationships, but Franchesca may be his match.

Let's delve into these captivating reads and explore the worlds within.

The Bookish Stats

• Number of books: 5 total

• Formats

  • Print: 4

  • E-Book: 1

• Genres and subgenres:

  • Romance: 2

  • Fiction: 4

  • Mystery: 1

  • Fantasy: 2
    

  • Nonfiction: 1

  • Educational: 1

  • Mythology: 2

  • Retelling: 1

• Age Categories

  • Adult: 4

  • Children's: 1

• Average rating: 4.1 ⭐

• Page total: 1,220
  

Best/Favorite Read of the Month

Will You Talk to Me? by Margie Carstens

Bookish Reviews and Thoughts

Praxis Teaching Reading Elementary 5205 Study Guide: 2 Practice Tests and Exam Prep 

Genres: nonfiction, education

Adult Study Guide

Physical Paperback

Recommended age: 18+

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Date Started: January 28, 2024   Date Finished: February 7, 2024

Reviewed for publisher/author

Review:

The overall design of the cover with its images, texts, and font sizes all flow and go together well to create a simplistic, informative, and eye-catching cover. The breakdown of the subjects, including the number of questions for each subject that will be on the test, is nicely written and easy to read and comprehend, to the point where it could be broken down further for flashcard study if necessary or desired. The explanations of the subjects and their questions are useful and informative because they break down the specifics of each subject as well as what the test taker should focus on, study, review, and research before taking the exam. The vocabulary and definitions are properly done and flow smoothly from one to the next. The examples throughout the book of showing, telling, and exhibiting learning terms, vocabulary, themes, and activities in many forms in the classroom are useful, instructive, and simple to use and comprehend both in the classroom and at home. The Phoneme chart example on page 8 is excellent since it provides the test taker with an example of the phonemes that will most likely be taught in the classroom, as well as a guide to a chart that can be utilized in the classroom or printed out for parents or children to take home to practice. The split of phonemic awareness activities by age and grade level is useful because it allows the test taker to observe the differences in grade levels, learning pace, and activity learning kinds for each. Very good breakdown of which letters and letter sounds should be taught first, second, and finally. Sections with age and grade learning breakdowns and activities for each are especially useful for test takers since they provide suggestions for prospective lesson plans, activities, and additional study on which letters and letter sounds should be taught first and how. Good breakdown, examples, and explanations of the developmental stages of writing, emergent writing stages, distinct learning stages of writing within age groups, foundations of effective writing, tips, and spelling continuum, among other things. All these factors contribute to efficient studying and comprehension of what the test taker will need to study, learn, see, and possibly research before taking the exam. These also provide test takers with ideas and actions that they may practice, think about, plan, and implement to gain a better knowledge of the activities, lessons, and information that must be learned before taking the exam. Excellent job of breaking down the levels of second language learning, learning with impairments, the tests or assessments that these kids must take, as well as examples of activities, lessons, accommodations, and methods the teacher can assist the student with their language learning. The test taker will be able to readily recognize the second language learning process, examine the material in the book, and conduct additional research based on this material to gain a greater grasp and knowledge of the subject. Excellent overview of the numerous forms of evaluations and tests that instructors and school personnel will use to decide certain pieces of data. The test taker will be able to quickly understand each assessment described, as well as their use and rules, and conduct more research on them if necessary for studying purposes before sitting the exam. Practice tests 1 and 2 have good questions, answer options, and answer explanations. The test taker will thoroughly prepare and practice with the various types and responses to the questions in Practice Tests 1 and 2.

Neon Gods by Katee Robert

Series: Dark Olympus Book 1

Genres: Romance with sub-genres of Mythology, Retellings, Fiction, and Fantasy.

Adult Novel

Physical Paperback

Recommended age: 18+

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Reading Challenge: Books Recs

Date Started: February 4, 2024    Date Finished: February 14, 2024

Review: 

The consent in Persephone and Hades’s relationship was important, and I enjoyed reading a book where consent was an important topic and point in the relationship. Persephone’s relationship with her three sisters is adorable, relatable, and inspiring in the way of trying to love and protect one’s siblings amid backstabbing political and dangerous situations. The way the book showcased the various ways in which power can drive a person to do evil things such as killing one to three of their wives was well-done and intriguing to see. The blooming, quirky, and sassy banter and friendship between Persephone, Hades, Hermes, and Dionysus bring a relatable feature and human-like nature to the story and the characters that are quite enjoyable. The writing was easy to understand, read, and imaginative at points. The book could have used more information on the way the people were selected to take over as one of the thirteen and the powerful political system to help readers better understand the nature and hand that the thirteen and politics play in everyone’s lives in the book. While I enjoyed Persephone and Hades’s friendship and relationship, it did feel quite instant-lovey and the book seemed to focus more on the sexual side of their relationship than the emotional or mental side of it. I think the book would have benefitted from more of the emotional and mental connection between Persephone and Hades being shown more or well-balanced with the sexual side of their relationship in the way of allowing a better knowledge and connection of the readers to the characters and their relationship. The plot was intriguing and was good but did feel a bit lost and unorganized in the end which could have been done on purpose by the author to represent the chaos of the situations occurring in the book. Overall, the book was a good retelling of the Hades and Persephone relationship and story.

Recommended for anyone over the age of 18 looking for a somewhat similar but also unique Hades and Persephone retelling.

Content Warnings: Mentions of violence, death, explicit sexual content, murder

Myths of Babylon by Multiple Authors/ Flame Tree

Genres: Mythology, Fiction

Adult Novel

Physical Paperback

Recommended age: 18+

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Date Started: January 14, 2024    Date Finished: February 18, 2024

Review:

The book was informative of times, information, events, myths, and tales from Babylon. The book was good, interesting at times, and informative. The book shows several connections between the myths of Babylon to the Bible and several other mythologies around the world. The book also hints at and discusses some of the prominent or heavily featured tropes and stereotypes within mythologies, fairy tales, and folk tales. The negatives about this book were that the writing was very dry and dense and really could have benefitted from more editing, a different writing style, and better spacing between sentences and paragraphs. The book discusses several topics, but the organization of these topics feels all over the place to the point it is hard to keep up with what topic has already been discussed in the book. Overall, the book is a good book for anyone looking to learn and read about the myths of Babylon.

Content Warnings: Sexual assault, sexual content.

Will You Talk to Me? by Margie Carstens

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

Children's Picture Book

E-Book

Recommended age: 4+

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Date Started and Date Finished: February 20, 2024

Reviewed for OnlineBookClub

Review: 

The cover design is well done in a simple yet colorful and eye-catching style that will appeal to both children and adults alike. The cover effectively conveys the content of the book as well as the primary characters, a young girl and a hummingbird. The writing is well-done, inventive, and rich in imagery, which will entice youngsters and adults alike to read the book and easily visualize the actions, setting, and words. Throughout the book, the images are delightfully artistic, vivid, and fascinating. The graphics complement the text in the book, creating a vivid vision that correctly captures the words, environment, messages, and emotions of the young girl and hummingbird. The author skillfully distinguishes between the young girl's thoughts and her spoken words in the pictures by depicting her thoughts in various shades of brown and the remainder of the illustration in various other hues. The author does this to allow young readers to recognize the young girl's thoughts from her spoken words and the ordinary text of the book while also providing an opportunity to learn about the distinction between spoken words and thoughts. The book serves as a reminder and beautiful learning opportunity for young and older readers alike about the learning of self-confidence, self-realization, embracing one's uniqueness, being mindful and respectful of others, the art of imagery in words, hummingbirds and their meanings and abilities, the downsides and upsides regarding comparison to others, and finally the ability to love and appreciate the little and big things in life, from hummingbirds in the sky to whales in the ocean. The book offers a delightful story full of gorgeous art, words, and images for teachers, librarians, and parents to utilize in helping young readers learn and grow in the art of learning and living.

The negative aspects of the book were that the book's word size is small, and the dark blue font color is at times difficult to read against the light blue background. To improve readability, the author might change the font color to black or gray and increase the font size on text-only pages.

I encourage parents, teachers, librarians, or anybody who has or works with children aged 4 and up to give this book a chance because it provides fantastic learning opportunities as well as the opportunity for children to read while using visual aids. I would also recommend this book to children and young people aged 4 and up who want a book with visual aids and vital lessons like respecting others, easy-to-read writing, and animals.

The Worst Best Man by Lucy Score

Genres: Romance, Fiction, and a bit of Mystery

Recommended age: 18+

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐

• Blind Date with a Book - Wall of Books

Date Started: February 19, 2024    Date Finished: February 25, 2024

Review: 

The book's premise was intriguing and engaging. The wedding and Chip, the groom's kidnapping, which took up the first 100 pages of the book, were what made it worthwhile to read. The events and process leading up to the wedding were hilarious, hectic, and exactly what I expected an island wedding would be like today. The banter between the two main characters, Aiden and Frankie, was enjoyable to read and imagine, but it became tiresome near the conclusion since it appeared to generate far too much miscommunication between the two. Chip's kidnapper was anticipated, and the consequences when he was discovered were disappointing, to say the least. Frankie was a wonderful female character who knew exactly what she wanted and was not afraid to express it. The main story was fine, but the characters could have been more fleshed out and developed, the wedding being a larger part of the book because it is the foundation, less profanity. After all, there is no need for a curse word every two sentences, and more character development would have benefitted the book. I think I would have loved the narrative better if there was less swearing and if the interaction between the two main characters was more about them getting to know each other rather than their sexual attraction to each other.

Content Warnings: Sexual content, mentions of alcohol, kidnapping, blackmail, profanity

Engaging Discussion Questions for Every Book Mentioned

Discussion Questions for "Neon Gods" by Katee Robert

1. In "Neon Gods," how does the author, Katee Robert, portray the dynamics of power and control between the main characters? What role does power play in shaping their relationship and decisions throughout the story?

2. Explore the theme of forbidden love in "Neon Gods." How do the societal norms and expectations in the world created by Katee Robert influence the characters' actions and the development of their romance?

3. Analyze the character development in "Neon Gods." How do the main characters evolve throughout the narrative, and what key events or interactions contribute to their growth and transformation?

4. Consider the role of mythology and folklore in "Neon Gods." How does Katee Robert incorporate elements of Greek mythology into the narrative, and what themes or symbols from ancient myths are reimagined in the context of the story?

5. Examine the moral dilemmas faced by the characters in "Neon Gods." How do their personal beliefs, values, and past experiences influence the choices they make, and what ethical questions arise as a result of their actions?

6. Explore the concept of redemption in "Neon Gods." How do the characters grapple with their past mistakes, regrets, and sins, and what opportunities for growth, forgiveness, and second chances are presented throughout the narrative?

7. Reflect on the overall impact of "Neon Gods" as a work of fiction. How does Katee Robert's storytelling style, character development, world-building, and thematic exploration contribute to the novel's appeal and relevance to contemporary readers?

Discussion Questions for "Myths of Babylon" by Jake Jackson

1. How do the myths of Babylon reflect the culture and values of ancient Mesopotamia? 2. Explore the role of gods and goddesses in Babylonian mythology. How do they influence the lives of mortals?

3. Analyze the symbolism and motifs present in the myths of Babylon. What do they represent and how do they contribute to the overall narrative?

4. Discuss the significance of storytelling in preserving Babylonian myths throughout history. How has oral tradition shaped our understanding of these ancient tales?

5. Compare and contrast Babylonian myths with other mythological traditions from around the world. What similarities and differences can be identified?

6. Consider the impact of Babylonian myths on modern literature, art, and culture. How have these ancient stories continued to inspire creativity and imagination?

7. Reflect on the relevance of Babylonian myths in contemporary society. Are there any lessons or insights that can be gleaned from these ancient narratives?

8. Delve into the historical context in which the myths of Babylon emerged. How did political, social, and religious factors influence the development of these stories?

9. Examine the portrayal of heroes and villains in Babylonian mythology. What qualities define a hero in this cultural context?

Discussion Questions for "Will You Talk To Me?" by Margie Carstens

1. How does the author use characterization to bring the protagonist to life in the story?

2. Explore the theme of communication in the narrative. How do the characters' interactions shape the plot?

3. Analyze the setting of the story and its significance to the overall message conveyed by the author.

4. Discuss the symbolism present in the text and how it enhances the reader's understanding of the story.

5. Consider the title of the piece, "Will You Talk To Me?" What deeper meanings or questions does it evoke?

6. Examine the narrative structure employed by Carstens. How does it contribute to the reader's engagement with the text?

7. Evaluate the resolution of the story. Does it provide a satisfying conclusion to the conflicts presented?

8. How does Carstens' writing style contribute to the overall impact of the narrative?

Here are some discussion questions to consider when exploring "The Worst Best Man" by Lucy Score:

1. How does the author develop the main characters' personalities and motivations throughout the story?

2. Analyze the dynamics of the relationships between the characters in the book. How do these relationships evolve and impact the overall plot?

3. Discuss the themes presented in the novel and how they contribute to the message or moral of the story.

4. Explore the setting of the book and its significance to the events that unfold. How does the environment shape the characters and their decisions?

5. Consider the writing style and tone of the author. How does it enhance the reader's experience and engagement with the narrative?

6. Evaluate the pacing and structure of the plot. Did the narrative flow smoothly, or were there any moments of tension or surprise that stood out?

7. Compare and contrast "The Worst Best Man" with other works of fiction you have read. What sets this book apart, and how does it contribute to the genre?

8. Consider the overall impact of the book on you as a reader. What emotions did it evoke, and what lasting impressions did it leave?