…more opinions (aka reviews).

As I’ve mentioned before, on several occasions, I write reviews. It may seem odd to give an opinion about some of the items, but I’m a member of the Amazon Vine program, which means I get to pick out books ~ and other stuff ~ to review. {Since my TBR pile is, shall we say, quite large, I’ve been choosing a lot of “other stuff”.}

And since it is always recommended you include a photo in your blog post, so it looks purty when you share it on social media, here is a picture of my dog, Maggie. She’s as close to me as she can possibly get while I sit in my desk chair. (A very cool antique.)

Her photo actually does relate to the reviews, as I review some dog food. The Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Dog Food, Beef & Rice Recipe (Five Stars) makes her coat all soft and shiny. It’s what I’m feeding her from now on!

Anywhosit, here are my other most recent reviews on Amazon, most from the Vine program, in no particular order:

• Fellowes PlushTouch Wrist Rest with FoamFusion Technology, Black: Four 1/2 Stars. Really good wrist support with some nice features. I just wish it was a little longer.

• The Heart Specialist by Claire Rothman: Four Stars. A fictional account based on the life of Maude Abbot, Canada’s first female physician. In the book, Dr. Agnes White is an expert on the human heart (the organ that pumps blood through our bodies to keep us healthy) but she’s completely stymied by the heart’s other function – the mystical place where love resides. Very interesting historical novel.

• Nestle Skinny Cow Divine Filled Chocolates, Caramel, 6 Ounce: Four Stars. Great way to satisfy your chocolate craving, but not exactly a diet treat.

• A Field Guide to Aliens: Intergalactic Worrywarts, Bubblonauts, Sliver-Slurpers, and Other Extraterrestria by Johan Olander: Four Stars. Really fun kids book with lots of drawings and imaginative monsters.

• Notorious Nineteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich: Four Stars. My dear friend Brandi (who answered The Questions) introduced me to this series, which sits firmly on my “guilty pleasures” shelf. This is actually one of my favorites in the series – it has an honest-to-god interesting mystery that kept me guessing.

• Paul (movie): Four 1/2 Stars. Fun, thoughtful, and amusing movie with great cast. Jason Bateman stands out as a very focused, driven government agent.

• The Words (movie): Three 1/2 Stars. A story within a story… within a story. Also an interesting look at being a writer and what that means. Could easily have become confusing and annoying.

• Rachael Ray Nutrish Just 6 Limited Ingredient Dry Dog Food, Lamb & Rice Recipe: Four Stars. This was hard to review. My dog liked it, and then she didn’t, but it did give her a softer coat. This food is expensive and it doesn’t *just* have six ingredients.

• Philips HRK00XM Headlight Restoration Kit: Four Stars. Cheaper than new headlight covers, but requires a lot of work.

• CobraCo Contemporary Round Fire Pit: Two Stars. It’s already rusty. And its “protective” cover came with holes in it!

• Confederates Don’t Wear Couture by Stephanie Kate Strohm: Five Stars. Really fun, interesting romp through the Civil War. I *adore* our heroine, Libby Kelting. She’s smart, funny, intelligent, and loves history and fashion. Plus, she’s being pursued by two boys. Will the North or the South win her heart? (I also gave five stars to the first book, Pilgrims Don’t Wear Pink.)

• The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver: Four Stars. Fantasy adventure story for middle grades. It’s sure to become a classic (tho a few things bugged me…)

• A Bag of Hammers (movie): Four Stars. Clunky title for a thoughtful, indie movie with an interesting premise. Stars John Ritter’s son, Jason ~ I wondered why the guy looked so familiar!

• The Fellowship for Alien Detection by Kevin Emerson. Five stars. Great, engaging, fun sci-fi book. Not just for kids!!! (In fact, not really for kids. Ignore the cover.)

• Bankers Box SmoothMove Picture/Mirror Box: Five Stars. The perfect boxes for moving your priceless works of art.

• Keebler Jumbo Dark Fudge Sticks: Three Stars. Too sweet and not really Jumbo!

• Keebler Town House Pita Crackers: Four Stars. Great with hummus or other toppings.

• i|m Active, Headwraps, Maximum Hold: Four Stars. Works on my (apparently) weird-shaped head.

• How to Wash a Cat by Rebecca M. Hale: Four Stars. Fun cozy mystery with cats. Love the author’s descriptions, not crazy about the length and depth of some of them.

• Violet & Claire by Francesca Lia Block: Five Stars. Beautifully written story of love, friendship, and being true to yourself.

For the record, all reviews are my own, honest opinion, and I am not paid to post them (other than the items I get for free from Vine). I am not currently accepting any more books for review by authors, even tho I get asked all the time.

Also for the record, yes, I am an Amazon affiliate. That means if you happen to click a link and happen to buy something, then I’ll get a teensy percentage of the sale. It doesn’t cost you any more money, and it helps support my art habit. I mean, I’d be writing the reviews anyway, so why not? Plus, it takes me a LOT of time to read and review and create this post and copy links…

Thanks for reading!