Reading

“Pony Express” by Carla Osborne, Children’s Book Review

This post is a partnership with Gona’s Reading Ranch to share Carla Osborne’s new children’s book, “Pony Express” with my readers as a sponsored post and giveaway. As always, all opinions, recommendations, and overuse of exclamation points are my own ;)

In this house, one thing I’ve always been really passionate about is reading. From day 1, when kiddo was just a baby, I was reading to her every day. I’ve always been a voracious reader myself – starting in middle school I used to steal all of my parent’s paperback novels as fast as they could refill the bookshelves, reading everything from Sweet Valley High to Stephen King, always walking around with my nose in a book. I’m still that girl who always has a book in my purse, at least one on my nightstand, and a pile of “to be read next” books glaring at me each time I put in yet another order at an online book retailer, lol. I’m a book lover, man.

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” – Stephen King. I’ve always felt like that was the most beautifully perfect way to describe why I love books so hard, 🖤 They’re the most inexpensive, accessible, portable form of magic, easily available to everyone. Pages of just paper and ink can transport you across the world, to other worlds, to other ages of the world. You gain empathy for others as you see life through the eyes of new characters. You learn and experience a whole range of feelings – excitement! Suspense! Heartbreak! Adventure! Loss! Love! All lived through the pages of a book. Magical, every time.

Like I said – I’ve read to kiddo since she was born. We still read together often. We sometimes read books via Zoom to younger nieces and nephews, to stay connected during these weird Covid times. 🖤 A new favorite we’ve found that I *highly* encourage you to check out is Pony Express, by Carla Osborne. It’s from her series Go Gona Go, and it’s absolutely freaking delightful, you guys.

The author grew up in rural Southern Idaho on a working farm that’s been in the family for four generations. She started writing children’s books to share a bit of the magic she knew growing up back then, with today’s generation of kids. Her life story is incredible, honestly – after leaving the farm, she went on to work with a traveling theater group as a singer, dancer, and actor. And now once again lives on a farm in Idaho, spending her days outside on 15 acres with horses, donkey, and sheep. To learn more about her amazing life story that inspired the magical children’s stories she writes, visit her site CarlaOsborneBooks.com. And be sure to check out her YouTube channel as well, and give it a follow:

The author’s life story is full of magical memories, and that definitely influences the story in Pony Express. It’s all about an adventurous girl named Gona, with a wild child heart like my own, who has a huge imagination, and a love for the outdoors and adventure. She partners with her brother to pretend to be Pony Express Riders, racing across the Wild West on their horses to deliver mail. They make a deal on getting chores done, then the shenanigans begin. ;) It’s kind of refreshing to see a book filled with kids enjoying life… with no screens or technology. 🤠 Just playing outside, inventing their own fun, the way we did as kids. You can almost feel the fresh air, just reading the book. It’s such a great read.

I hadn’t even realized until we started reading this book, that my kiddo had never heard of the Pony Express. She’s 11, in 6th grade, so I was super surprised?! But, with Covid, virtual schooling the past couple of years, the disruptions, substitutes, etc to infinity… there have just been a lot of subjects and topics that have gotten missed. So, this was a great opportunity for a fun bit of history lesson as well. The story is really sweet, the illustrations are beautifully done, and the quality of the book is wonderful. The story is fun for little kids – but still engaging for bigger kids too. Get your own copy here: Buy Pony Express here today. You can also head over to the @gonas_reading_ranch Instagram page too, for updates on the author, the book, other books she’s written, and upcoming fun. And while you’re on Instagram, don’t forget to follow me, too – @sunandsipcups.

ENTER TO WIN!!

Now, to win a copy of your own! Use the form below to enter to win – and be sure to share this with any other book lovers you know, or on your social media, to spread the word. Good luck!

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on February 18, 2022 Filed Under: Books | No Comments

Michael Crichton – The Andromeda Evolution

I received the new sci-fi novel The Andromeda Evolution, perfect for Michael Crichton fans everywhere, to review and share my thoughts with you guys. This post contains affiliate links.

Father’s Day is almost here. How many of you guys kinda… forgot? With all the craziness in the world right now, and with life off of it’s regular schedule – I barely realized it was June, let alone that Father’s Day was almost here! I have a really rad gift idea for you though – keep reading to check it out…

Who remembers the novel, The Andromeda Strain? Here’s a quick reminder: First published fifty years ago, The Andromeda Strain redefined the science fiction genre, and immediately established Michael Crichton as one of the brightest voices in contemporary literature worldwide.

“A military space probe, sent to collect extraterrestrial organisms from the upper atmosphere, is knocked out of orbit and falls to Earth. Twelve miles from the crash site, an inexplicable and deadly phenomenon terrorizes the residents of a sleepy desert town in Arizona, leaving only two survivors: an elderly addict and a newborn infant.

The United States government is forced to mobilize Project Wildfire, a top-secret emergency response protocol. Four of the nation’s most elite biophysicists are summoned to a clandestine underground laboratory located five stories beneath the desert and fitted with an automated atomic self-destruction mechanism for cases of irremediable contamination. Under conditions of total news blackout and the utmost urgency, the scientists race to understand and contain the crisis. But the Andromeda Strain proves different from anything they’ve ever seen—and what they don’t know could not only hurt them, but lead to unprecedented worldwide catastrophe.”

I’m SUCH a junkie for science fiction, disasters, aliens, saving the world. So, The Andromeda Strain is a book that I have read many, many times. So good, you guys. And now, there’s a new chapter to the story…. The Andromeda Revolution. Here’s a bit about this new novel:

“The Andromeda Evolution“ picks up the original story decades after The Andromeda Strain almost ended the human race. In the ensuing decades, research on the microparticle continued. And the world thought it was safe…

Deep inside Fairchild Air Force Base, Project Eternal Vigilance has continued to watch and wait for the Andromeda Strain to reappear. On the verge of being shut down, the project has registered no activity—until now. A Brazilian terrain-mapping drone has detected a bizarre anomaly of otherworldly matter in the middle of the jungle, and, worse yet, the tell-tale chemical signature of the deadly microparticle.

With this shocking discovery, the next-generation Project Wildfire is activated, and a diverse team of experts hailing from all over the world is dispatched to investigate the potentially apocalyptic threat.

But the microbe is growing—evolving. And if the Wildfire team can’t reach the quarantine zone, enter the anomaly, and figure out how to stop it, this new Andromeda Evolution will annihilate all life as we know it.

I’m only halfway through this book – stay tuned, I’ll update this with a full review shortly. This book feels super relevant to the state of affairs in this country today, as it seems like every day the news is filled with chaos, and major threats to life as we know it. There are some really great lines and quotes that you might have seen already, if you follow me on Instagram?

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A post shared by Meagan Paullin (@sunandsipcups) on Jun 16, 2020 at 6:19pm PDT

I’ve shared a few peeks at the book as I read it, in my Instagram Stories. If you’re not following me – do so here, and follow along as I finish the book. Or, pin this post to Pinterest, or bookmark it, to come back in a few days to see my full review. But I can tell you – so far, this is almost impossible to put down. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year – and I have a read a LOT of books, you guys, lol. #quarantinelife ;)

“The Andromeda Evolution” is a great gift for any dads in your life – or grandads, or even yourself. Available in paperback as of May 19th via HarperCollins, “the New York Times’ bestseller uncovers the next exciting chapter of Michael Crichton’s game-changing novel.” The book can be easily purchased on Amazon.com or through a local bookstore as many are open for customer orders. And, you can follow Michael Crichton’s Facebook fan page too, for more cool stuff.

I’m here in Yakima, Washington, where we are still in Phase 1 of lockdown, because we are the fastest-growing coronavirus outbreak on the west coast. Big yikes, and super scary for an immune compromised, chronically ill girl like me. So, no stores to shop in, or local bookstores to browse – but these books are both available on Amazon, which is where I do the majority of my shopping anyway.

And – right now, both are part of the Amazon sale, Get 3 for the price of 2, meaning, pick three books, movies, or games in this section, and you’ll get the lowest priced one for free! You can find The Andromeda Strain, The Andromeda Evolution, and tons more cool stuff in the promo.

You can order this set as a Father’s Day gift – if you order today it will be here by Friday – and then you still get to choose another book for yourself too if you use this promo. Sweet, right?

Written by Daniel H. Wilson, “The Andromeda Evolution” is the perfect gift for any Sci-Fi thriller fans! It’s the first book sequel ever authorized on behalf of Crichton’s estate, which is a big deal – and coincides with the anniversary of the bestselling novel he first introduced to the world in 1969, “The Andromeda Strain.” It’s a wonderful continuation of the Crichton legacy as mastermind behind some of the world’s greatest pop culture masterpieces such as “Jurassic Park,” “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” Westworld, ER, Coma and Twister, among others. Check out a few more Crichton faves here on Amazon too:

Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 16, 2020 Filed Under: Shopping, Reviews, Entertainment, Holiday Gift Ideas, Books | 2 Comments

Free Books and Cheeseburgers

In my house, eating healthy is important. Abby is starting to learn the difference between “healthy foods,” and things like candy and cookies. I have a big veggie garden, fruit trees, and am learning to can and freeze some of that delish harvest for the winter months. But, even though I am on a big mission to help my family live cleaner and greener, I still think there’s room for fun foods – things that aren’t that healthy, but sure taste good.

As with all things in life I try to live by the 80/20 rule – 80% healthy foods, 20% splurges. And one of Abby’s favorite splurges is a Happy Meal from McDonald’s. Like, it’s her F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E. You know that scene from Cinderella, where they sing the “Sweet Nightingale” song? {The video below can jog your memory if you need it…}

Well, Abby was watching this recently. And you know how little kids will try to fake sing a song? {She just turned 3 in late July.} They’ll kind of silently move their mouths, getting a word in every now and again, as they try to learn the song? Well, I’m watching Abby do that, thinking how cute it was, when suddenly she starts singing along, with her own lyrics….

“Sweet, sweet Happy Meal. Sweet, sweet, Happy Meal. I-a-a-a-aiiii, I love you….”

Seriously, I was like Ron Burgundy. I was in a glass case of emotion – so many feelings going on…. It was the most precious little moment watching her sing so incredibly serious and sweet. It was also one of the funniest things I’d ever heard in my life. I was laughing, crying, and ooh-ing and ahh-ing all at the same time. This silly girl is definitely my kid. :)

Well, we recently stopped at her beloved McDonald’s to get her favorite – a cheeseburger Happy Meal, with fries and apple slices {lucky for me, the apples are her favorite part!} – plus a low fat chocolate milk. Did you know that McDonald’s has dedicated the whole month of November to supporting the importance of reading in kid’s lives? Yep, every day this month they’ll be encouraging kids to read by including a book in every Happy Meal sold. [Read more…]