Curse of the Spider King {A Review}

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When I first looked at The Curse of the Spider King: Book 1 in the Berinfell Prophecies, I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t too jazzed. The cover of this books has lots of gross looking spiders with knights riding on them. I hate spiders and I’m not a big fan of the fantasy genre either. This book by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper was written for ages 12-17. When I offered it to my kids to read, my 14 year old grudgingly offered to read it. I was pleasantly surprised when an hour later she came out of her room and told me “This book is amazing!” And from the time she finished the book, she has asked time and time again “Do you know when the second book is coming out?”

I’ll let her tell you in her own words what she thought.

When I first saw the book Curse of the Spider King, I thought it was the lamest book ever, but I was just judging by its cover. As I started reading it, I couldn’t pit it down. Curse of the Spider King was amazing. I just wanted to keep reading and never put down this mysterious book.

The book is about seven 13 year olds who live in our world, not realizing that someday they are going to save a world beyond their own. I love the characters Batson and Hopper created. The seven teens are my age and it sort of gives me something to think about…What would I have done if it was me?

The end of the book had a one chapter sneak preview of the second book. I’m so glad there is a second book!!! I can’t wait to read it. And this time, I won’t judge a book by its cover.

As a mom, it’s comforting to know that books put out by Thomas Nelson won’t be full of bad language and questionable morals. I can allow my teens to read them without having to read them first!

If you have a teen, this book would be a great Christmas gift! You’ll definitely want to check it out.

The Curse of the Spider King: Book 1 in the Berinfell Prophecies
By: Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper
Ages: 12 – 17
Put out by: Thomas Nelson
Price: $14.99 (You can purchase this book from Amazon by clicking here or clicking on the image of the book in the left sidebar.)

Disclosure: This book was provided to me free of charge by Thomas Nelson in conjunction with Mama Buzz. All opinions expressed here were my own or those of my sweet daughter.

A Very Short, Common Sense PSA

The following is my very short common sense Public Service Announcement.

Do NOT cough on your hand and then proceed to touch all the produce at your local grocery store. I know your mama taught you better than that. Plus, it’s bad for grocery store sales. I know this because I personally passed on buying produce this weekend after I saw an individual who coughed into her hand and then went right back to pawing the produce!

OkPSA over! Carry on with your day!

Disclosure Policy

This policy is valid from 16 November 2009

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me with input from my husband and two daughters. For questions about this blog, please contact Lisa Thompson at Simplified Saving.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers’ own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

A Very Short, Common Sense PSA

The following is my very short common sense Public Service Announcement.

Do NOT cough on your hand and then proceed to touch all the produce at your local grocery store. I know your mama taught you better than that. Plus, it’s bad for grocery store sales. I know this because I personally passed on buying produce this weekend after I saw an individual who coughed into her hand and then went right back to pawing the produce!

OkPSA over! Carry on with your day!

Disclosure Policy

This policy is valid from 16 November 2009

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me with input from my husband and two daughters. For questions about this blog, please contact Lisa Thompson at Simplified Saving.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers’ own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

FREE 4 Week Trial of Amazon Prime


I am so excited to see the return of this deal! Simply click here to sign up for your free 4 week trial of Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime gives you FREE Two-Day Shipping with no minimum purchase when you start a free trial of Amazon Prime! That means you can order what you want, when you want, without worrying about a minimum amount for shipping!

I love Amazon and am planning on using my giftcards I earned at Swagbucks to buy some of my Christmas gifts! This totally sweetens the deal for me!

If you haven’t signed up for Amazon Prime in the past, click here to sign up. This deal is only available to new Amazon Prime Members.

Thanks Money Saving Madness! You totally made my day!

FREE Beth Moore online Bible study every Monday!

Join Beth Moore every Monday for a free online Bible study! Click here to listen and download the study guide!

Alice.com Certificates on Swagbucks: Two of My Favorite Things Come Together

It’s like Peanut Butter and Chocolate… These things are great by individually, but they’re even better combined.
Search & Win

I love Swagbucks. I’ve talked about them often. I love that I can search online throughout the day and win Swagbucks which I then redeem for Amazon.com gift cards (or other cool prizes!) I was thrilled today when I noticed on the Swagbucks blog that they now have $5 Alice.com Gift cards for only 12 Swagbucks! You better believe that I bought one in a heartbeat!

Alice.com
is an online retailer of household products. If you’re tired of running to the store when you run out of toilet paper or trash bags, this is the site for you. Alice.com allows you to manage all your household, healthy, and beauty product shopping in one place. It will even send you reminders if you choose to order more of a particular product. Alice.com also has clip-free coupons that can automatically be applied to your order. Shipping is always free (and it’s really fast…my products normally arrive the next day or 2 days later max!) and the only catch is that you need to order at least 6 items. I just made another purchase today (they have a variety of Kotex pantyliners for only $0.41/box and Bic Razors for $0.96/pack. My whole order came to $3.33. You may be able to do better than this by combining sales and coupons, but you’d have to leave your warm cozy house. Plus, if you sign up using this link, you will get a $10 credit in your Alice.com account once you have spent more than $50 on their site.

If you haven’t signed up for Swagbucks yet, what are you waiting for? There’s no time like the present. And speaking of presents…Christmas is less than 6 weeks away and I will be using quite a few of the Amazon.com gift cards I’ve earned through Swagbucks to buy presents. Wouldn’t you like to get some gift cards too?

FREE 4 Week Trial of Amazon Prime


I am so excited to see the return of this deal! Simply click here to sign up for your free 4 week trial of Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime gives you FREE Two-Day Shipping with no minimum purchase when you start a free trial of Amazon Prime! That means you can order what you want, when you want, without worrying about a minimum amount for shipping!

I love Amazon and am planning on using my giftcards I earned at Swagbucks to buy some of my Christmas gifts! This totally sweetens the deal for me!

If you haven’t signed up for Amazon Prime in the past, click here to sign up. This deal is only available to new Amazon Prime Members.

Thanks Money Saving Madness! You totally made my day!

FREE Beth Moore online Bible study every Monday!

Join Beth Moore every Monday for a free online Bible study! Click here to listen and download the study guide!

Alice.com Certificates on Swagbucks: Two of My Favorite Things Come Together

It’s like Peanut Butter and Chocolate… These things are great by individually, but they’re even better combined.
Search & Win

I love Swagbucks. I’ve talked about them often. I love that I can search online throughout the day and win Swagbucks which I then redeem for Amazon.com gift cards (or other cool prizes!) I was thrilled today when I noticed on the Swagbucks blog that they now have $5 Alice.com Gift cards for only 12 Swagbucks! You better believe that I bought one in a heartbeat!

Alice.com
is an online retailer of household products. If you’re tired of running to the store when you run out of toilet paper or trash bags, this is the site for you. Alice.com allows you to manage all your household, healthy, and beauty product shopping in one place. It will even send you reminders if you choose to order more of a particular product. Alice.com also has clip-free coupons that can automatically be applied to your order. Shipping is always free (and it’s really fast…my products normally arrive the next day or 2 days later max!) and the only catch is that you need to order at least 6 items. I just made another purchase today (they have a variety of Kotex pantyliners for only $0.41/box and Bic Razors for $0.96/pack. My whole order came to $3.33. You may be able to do better than this by combining sales and coupons, but you’d have to leave your warm cozy house. Plus, if you sign up using this link, you will get a $10 credit in your Alice.com account once you have spent more than $50 on their site.

If you haven’t signed up for Swagbucks yet, what are you waiting for? There’s no time like the present. And speaking of presents…Christmas is less than 6 weeks away and I will be using quite a few of the Amazon.com gift cards I’ve earned through Swagbucks to buy presents. Wouldn’t you like to get some gift cards too?

Give the Gift of Financial Freedom – 50% off Dave Ramsey Products

When my husband picked up Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover on New Years Eve last year, I had no idea how radically it would change our finances. We followed up the reading of the book with Financial Peace University and have been plugging away since then!


Now through November 17th, you can get 50% off Dave Ramsey’s books, CDs, DVDs, and more. Plus you can get FREE shipping on orders of $65 or more. Check it out here!

Give the Gift of Financial Freedom – 50% off Dave Ramsey Products

When my husband picked up Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover on New Years Eve last year, I had no idea how radically it would change our finances. We followed up the reading of the book with Financial Peace University and have been plugging away since then!


Now through November 17th, you can get 50% off Dave Ramsey’s books, CDs, DVDs, and more. Plus you can get FREE shipping on orders of $65 or more. Check it out here!

Mall Madness – Great Deals on November 15th

I can’t believe that Christmas is less than 6 weeks away. Here are a few deals to check out if you’re heading to the mall. Quite a few of these end or are only valid on November 15th (sorry for the late notice!).

Victoria’s Secret- Free Cotton Panty with Purchase

Click here to get a coupon for a Free VS Cotton Panty with Purchase through November 25th. This deal is made even sweeter by a special rewards program going on now. You’ll receive a mystery gift card with every purchase of $10 or more that is guaranteed to be worth a minimum of $10 and possibly as much as $500! You can start redeeming them December 1st. Definitely worth stopping in for!

Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

Bath and Body Works- Antibacterial Soaps for Only $1.67

Bath and Body Works has Antibacterial Soaps on Sale 4/$10 until November 15th. Purchase 12 and use the $10 off $30 purchase coupon to get them for only $1.67 each. These are great to add to a gift basket and also make great gifts for teachers.
Thanks Cha-Ching on a Shoestring and Deal Seeking Mom!

Express- $15 off $30 purchase or $30 off $75 purchase

Click here to get a coupon for $15 off $30 purchase or $30 off $75 purchase at Express. This is a great way to pick up some Christmas gifts for those who love clothes! This coupon expires November 16th.

Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime, and Gap Inc Outlet Stores- 30% off your purchase

It’s Give and Get time again from Gap, Inc. When you use a Give and Get coupon, you’ll get 30% off your purchase and 5% will go to a charity. If you’d like your 5% to go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, click here. Want your 5% to go to Service Nation, click here. This coupon expires November 15th.

American Eagle & Aerie
- Take 20% off your purchase

Sunday, November 15th is Friends and Family Day at American Eagle and Aerie. Click here to get your coupon for 20% off. While you’re at Aerie, make sure to sign up for their A-List.

Also, be sure to check your mail. I received coupons this week for JC Penneys, Kohls, and Build-A-Bear.

Sunday Coupon Preview for November 15th

It looks like this week we will have 3 inserts: General Mills, Red Plum, and Smart Source. I’m excited about the General Mills Insert since these coupons are quite helpful for the holidays. If you’d like more info on what to expect in tomorrows paper, head on over to Sunday Coupon Preview.

Mall Madness – Great Deals on November 15th

I can’t believe that Christmas is less than 6 weeks away. Here are a few deals to check out if you’re heading to the mall. Quite a few of these end or are only valid on November 15th (sorry for the late notice!).

Victoria’s Secret- Free Cotton Panty with Purchase

Click here to get a coupon for a Free VS Cotton Panty with Purchase through November 25th. This deal is made even sweeter by a special rewards program going on now. You’ll receive a mystery gift card with every purchase of $10 or more that is guaranteed to be worth a minimum of $10 and possibly as much as $500! You can start redeeming them December 1st. Definitely worth stopping in for!

Thanks Deal Seeking Mom!

Bath and Body Works- Antibacterial Soaps for Only $1.67

Bath and Body Works has Antibacterial Soaps on Sale 4/$10 until November 15th. Purchase 12 and use the $10 off $30 purchase coupon to get them for only $1.67 each. These are great to add to a gift basket and also make great gifts for teachers.
Thanks Cha-Ching on a Shoestring and Deal Seeking Mom!

Express- $15 off $30 purchase or $30 off $75 purchase

Click here to get a coupon for $15 off $30 purchase or $30 off $75 purchase at Express. This is a great way to pick up some Christmas gifts for those who love clothes! This coupon expires November 16th.

Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime, and Gap Inc Outlet Stores- 30% off your purchase

It’s Give and Get time again from Gap, Inc. When you use a Give and Get coupon, you’ll get 30% off your purchase and 5% will go to a charity. If you’d like your 5% to go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, click here. Want your 5% to go to Service Nation, click here. This coupon expires November 15th.

American Eagle & Aerie
- Take 20% off your purchase

Sunday, November 15th is Friends and Family Day at American Eagle and Aerie. Click here to get your coupon for 20% off. While you’re at Aerie, make sure to sign up for their A-List.

Also, be sure to check your mail. I received coupons this week for JC Penneys, Kohls, and Build-A-Bear.