Pamela's Updates en-US Mon, 26 May 2025 20:56:46 -0700 60 Pamela's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg GiveawayRequest716488820 Mon, 26 May 2025 20:56:46 -0700 <![CDATA[<a href="/user/show/72489185-pamela-hatch">Pamela Hatch</a> entered a giveaway]]> /giveaway/show/412071-hot-desk Hot Desk by Laura Dickerman
50 copies available, ends on June 09, 2025
Enter to win ]]> GiveawayRequest716485360 Mon, 26 May 2025 20:43:51 -0700 <![CDATA[<a href="/user/show/72489185-pamela-hatch">Pamela Hatch</a> entered a giveaway]]> /giveaway/show/412281-seven-for-a-secret Seven for a Secret by Mary E. Roach ]]> Review7602721812 Mon, 26 May 2025 19:32:07 -0700 <![CDATA[Pamela added 'Meg']]> /review/show/7602721812 Meg by Steve Alten Pamela gave 3 stars to Meg (Meg, #1) by Steve Alten
bookshelves: sharks, horror, extinction, adventure, paleontology, ptsd
My favorite movie is JAWS - my second favorite is MEG. -- So when I found the book version of MEG, I had to get it - and read it - and then force myself to finish it - and then left me wondering why someone paid to make a movie from this book and then changed everything about it. -- This is one of those rare occasions when the movie was better than the book. Some of the characters have the same names, but the characters are totally different including the main characters of Jonas Taylor and the Megalodon.

So if you forget the wonderful movie characters and plot - and just focus on the book story and characters it was a fair read. Very bloody and lots of death because the oversized shark is constantly hungry and in prehistoric survival mode. -- The shark in the book is illuminous shining bright white while the movie shark is gray and dull.

The one part I found ultra interesting is when Jonas is explaining the science and biology of the Megalodon (pages 68-69) which helps to explain how the meg can still function once it is blinded. -- Another part that I found interesting is the conversation about where the meg will go and the current whale migration patterns that would offer a constant food supply (page 122).

The idea of the ocean observation facility was very unique and something that I would like to see in real life (minus the meg of course). I also remember well the description of the orca pod that was chasing one of the meg pups and they knew they needed to kill the pup now.

Spoiler Alert: if I remember correctly there is still one meg pup unaccounted for.

The ending is not happy and is inconclusive as to how everyone survives the ordeal.

There are places where strong language takes over the characters.

I was not satisfied with this book (nor was I with the novel of JAWS). I would take a chance and read one of the sequels to see if it does better without a quality movie spoiling the reader's expectations.
]]> ReadStatus9445629403 Mon, 19 May 2025 20:17:59 -0700 <![CDATA[Pamela wants to read 'Let's Be Bees']]> /review/show/7583620776 Let's Be Bees by Shawn Harris Pamela wants to read Let's Be Bees by Shawn Harris
]]> ReadStatus9426826605 Wed, 14 May 2025 23:08:50 -0700 <![CDATA[Pamela wants to read 'The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression, Second Edition']]> /review/show/7570485949 The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman Pamela wants to read The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression, Second Edition by Angela Ackerman
]]> Review7560982026 Sun, 11 May 2025 13:36:12 -0700 <![CDATA[Pamela added 'The Last Olympian']]> /review/show/7560982026 The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan Pamela gave 5 stars to The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5) by Rick Riordan
bookshelves: fantasy, adventure, quest, war, heroes, good-vs-evil, greek-mythology, friends, alliances, problem-solving, young-adult-fiction
This is the best title in the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series -- but you have to read through all the books to enjoy the complexity of this book. An emotional roller coaster ride of adventure and relationships as the last book in the series brings together all the mysteries that the series has presented from book one.

There were five places that I had to back up and read again either because I was delighted with the results or I needed to reverify what I had just read. I don't want to give away any details because you need to read it for yourself.

]]> Review7560965794 Sun, 11 May 2025 13:29:31 -0700 <![CDATA[Pamela added 'The Battle of the Labyrinth']]> /review/show/7560965794 The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan Pamela gave 3 stars to The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4) by Rick Riordan
bookshelves: adventure, prophecy, quest, problem-solving, friends, maze, good-vs-evil, dreams
This is the fourth book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. I really like the series but this volume was not one of my favorite. There are lots of dream sequences that Percy has during the book -- I was getting tired of these near the end -- however, they were necessary to provide information about characters and events that the reader needs to know.

But it did introduce a new character which became a favorite for me -- Mrs. O'Leary.

So read this one fast and move on to the 5th and last in the series - The Last Olympian -- because its fast pace and story reveals makes up for the slow pace of The Battle of the Labyrinth. ]]> Review7560845593 Sun, 11 May 2025 12:40:24 -0700 <![CDATA[Pamela added 'Giggle-Worthy Poem Prompts for Kids: Learn How to Write Six Types of Poetry with Examples, Tips, and Ideas']]> /review/show/7560845593 Giggle-Worthy Poem Prompts for Kids by Sandra K Athans Pamela gave 5 stars to Giggle-Worthy Poem Prompts for Kids: Learn How to Write Six Types of Poetry with Examples, Tips, and Ideas (Paperback) by Sandra K Athans
bookshelves: poetry, workbook, literary-concepts, humor, non-fiction, children-s-literature
Giggle-Worthy Poem Prompts for Kids: Learn How to Write Six Types of Poetry with Examples, Tips, and Ideas / by Mike Downs and Sandra Athans � Red Wolf Press, c2025 (89 pages)

When I see a title from Red Wolf Press � I immediately think high quality books for young writers � and Giggle-Worthy Poem Prompts for Kids doesn’t disappoint providing another great writing resource for kids (and the young at heart).

In the format of a large format workbook the authors, Mike Downs and Sandra Athans, provide lots of useful tips that help the young writer think more about humorous verse around six types of poetry: Acrostic, Free Verse, Concrete, Epitaph, Haiku, and Limerick. They also interweave other literary concepts, such as: interjections, alliteration, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, and personification.

All of this may seem like a lot for this 89-page, large, formatted workbook � but the information is presented in such a way to pull the young writer in and encourage them to experiment with their words in many ways. The numerous clipart illustrations add to the humorous theme.
My favorite section was on pages 63 & 64. I love writing haiku, and the tip section made me look at haiku in a different way focusing on the senses and using synonyms to drill down to the exact words that would enhance the poem.

Red Wolf Press grants teachers the right to photocopy pages from this book for classroom use.
I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
]]> Review7458353978 Wed, 02 Apr 2025 21:25:05 -0700 <![CDATA[Pamela added 'The Titan’s Curse']]> /review/show/7458353978 The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan Pamela gave 5 stars to The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #3) by Rick Riordan
bookshelves: myths, greek-mythology, problem-solving, survival, quest, adventure, tween-fiction, heroes, friends
The Titan's Curse is the third title of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series that sets the world of Greek mythology in the world of today. The gods are still petty and there are still heroes that are needed to put the world back in order.

A very quick read with returning characters as well as new ones -- lots of action and surprises -- humor and disappointments. Just keep reading the titles - so good. ]]> ReadStatus9204490163 Tue, 18 Mar 2025 20:54:47 -0700 <![CDATA[Pamela wants to read 'The Yellowstone Campaign']]> /review/show/7415799680 The Yellowstone Campaign by Tim Piper Pamela wants to read The Yellowstone Campaign by Tim Piper
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