Latest releases from Simon & Schuster Product Review

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Everyone deserves time out with a really great book!

Which is why we are so excited to announce that we’ll be giving you or your child the chance to read and review one of the latest releases from Simon & Schuster Australia.

With characters you’ll love and story lines that’ll have you hooked, we hope you’ll find these new books from some of the finest writers, hard to put down.

This month’s Simon & Schuster Book Review will feature the following titles:

DORK DIARIES: ONCE UPON A DORK

DORK DIARIES: ONCE UPON A DORK

With her internationally best-selling series, Rachel Renée Russell has created for girls what Jeff Kinney did for boys with The Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Nikki Maxwell, Queen of the Dorks, is back in a brand new instalment of the internationally bestselling series, now with 13 million copies in print worldwide.

After a bump on the head, Nikki has a wild dream in which she, her BFF’s Chloe and Zoey, her crush Brandon, and mean girl Mackenzie all end up playing the roles of some familiar classic fairy tale characters.

Will Nikki’s dream turn into a nightmare?

Average Ratings (from 38 ratings)
Overall star Rating
I recognise the Dork Diaries brand
I would recommend Dork Diaries to other parents
My child is a fan of Dork Diaries
My child enjoyed reading this

GRUG THE SUPERHERO

GRUG THE SUPERHERO

One morning, Grug wakes up and decides to become a superhero.

Wearing a cape and a mask, and a sword made from sticks, Grug and Cara, his best friend, transform the Grugmobile into the Zoom Zoom Car and head off to save someone.

But the Zoom Zoom Car has too much zoom and Grug and Cara discover that if they can’t save someone else, they can at least save themselves.

Average Ratings (from 61 ratings)
Overall star Rating
I know who Grug is
We already own Grug books
We enjoyed reading Grug
I would buy others in the series

YOU

YOU

Gone Girl meets Fatal Attraction in Caroline Kepnes’ You, a chilling account of the twisted psychology behind unrelenting passion.

When aspiring writer Guinevere Beck strides into the bookstore where Joe works, he is instantly smitten. Beck is everything Joe has ever wanted: tough, razor-smart and sexier than his wildest dreams. He’d kill to have her.

Soon Beck can’t resist her feelings for a guy who seems custom made for her. When a string of macabre incidents tears her world apart, there is only one person she can turn to. But there’s more to Joe than Beck realises and much more to Beck than her perfect facade. The obsessive relationship quickly spirals into a whirlwind of deadly consequences…

A chilling account of unrelenting, terrifying deceit, Caroline Kepnes’ You is a thriller more perversely clever and dangerously twisted than any you have ever read.

Average Ratings (from 37 ratings)
Overall star Rating
I am a fan of crime fiction
I would recommend YOU to others
I would like to read a follow up to this title

BLACK ICE

BLACK ICE

The Young Adult sensation Becca Fitzpatrick, author of the best-selling Hush Hush saga, is back with a new novel!  Black Ice, a riveting stand –alone romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming.

Britt Pfeiffer has never been that adventurous, but that’s about to change. Wanting to impress her ex-boyfriend, Britt convinces best friend, Korbie, to take a trekking trip with her. But when a freak storm leaves the girls stranded they seek shelter in a cabin, where they find two knights in shining armour. Or so they think.

Dark and adrenaline-filled, Black Ice will have you on the edge of your seat right until the final twist!

Average Ratings (from 32 ratings)
Overall star Rating
I read other books by Becca Fitzpatrick
I am a fan of the Young Adult category
I would recommend Black Ice to others

These titles can be purchased as an eBook or paperback from your preferred book retailer.

Would you like to be part of the Simon & Schuster book review team?

In the Latest Releases from Simon & Schuster book review, selected Mouths of Mums members will receive one of the four books profiled above. We’ll be asking them (or their children) to read the book they receive and then post their review and ratings on the relevant book’s page.

Applications for the Latest releases from Simon & Schuster product review are now closed. If you miss out this time, don’t worry. There’ll be lots more opportunities for you to join a review team in the future. Join Mouths of Mums if you’re not already a member and you’ll receive invitations to participate in future reviews.


Published 19th October 2014

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Topics

Mopping isn’t exactly the chore most of us look forward to, but like most mums, for Katrina Macilroy, it’s unavoidable.

With three teenagers, a husband, a dog, two cats and timber flooring throughout most of her home, there’s plenty to keep her mop busy.

“I thought the toddler stage was hard, but teenagers take it to a whole other level,” Katrina told Mouths of Mums.

She describes herself as a ‘full-time Uber driver’ for her three kids, but when she’s home, she may as well be a full-time cleaner.

Her husband is a concreter, the family has plenty of sand coming inside and, with teenagers touching everything, the floors quickly show the evidence of a full family life.

“I have to mop like every second day because the floor gets marks,” she said.

So when Katrina was given the chance to try the Vileda Easy Wring & Clean TURBO Mop & Bucket Set, she was keen to see whether it could actually make one of her least favourite cleaning tasks any easier.

“I didn’t have high hopes for it to start with, because I’ve used spin mops before and I’d been disappointed,” she admitted.

But it didn’t take long for her to change her mind. One of the first things Katrina noticed was just how easy the mop was to use.

Person using the Vileda Easy Wring & Clean TURBO mop system.

The foot pedal made wringing the mop quick and simple, without having to stop and fiddle with anything.

“It was so easy to spin it,” she says. “It wasn’t like you’re spinning it for hours or anything.”

She was also impressed by how quickly the mop itself could be put together, and the simple button that releases the mop head for washing.

“That simple press notion, everyone can do that. So I love that.”

It’s The Little Things That Add Up

For Katrina, who regularly finds herself cleaning up after a busy family, these little details made a surprisingly big difference. She also loved the triangular mop head, particularly when it came to getting into the corners and edges that her previous mop struggled with.

“The triangle design makes it easy to get into all the little corners,” she says.

But ultimately, the big question was whether it actually cleaned her floors. Katrina’s answer was an enthusiastic yes.

“My floor has never been so clean,” she says.

Katrina was also surprised by how light and manoeuvrable the mop felt, because at just 4’11”, she says mopping can sometimes be an uncomfortable job.

“I’m not a tall person, so trying to mop is always just a horrible experience.”

Person carrying the Vileda Easy Wring & Clean TURBO mop system.

But she found the Vileda Easy Wring & Clean TURBO Mop & Bucket Set easy to move around and able to go in different directions without feeling heavy or awkward.

And it wasn’t just the mop itself that won Katrina over. She says the bucket design solved one of her biggest mopping frustrations: accidentally tipping the bucket over.

With timber floors, getting too much water onto the floor is something she tries hard to avoid. “The amount of mop buckets I’ve tipped over and just gone everywhere,” she says.

That can turn a simple cleaning job into another mess to deal with, particularly when you’re suddenly scrambling for towels and a dry mop head.

But Katrina says the Vileda bucket feels much more stable because of its design.

And for someone who mops as often as she does, she says that has saved her time. “This thing has saved me so much time, I can’t get over it.”

The Only Mop You’ll Need

Katrina also admits that she’d previously convinced herself she needed a steam mop. She even bought one, only to discover that plugging it in every time she wanted to clean wasn’t exactly appealing.

“You have to plug it in like a vacuum. Like, that’s not fun, I don’t want to do that.”

After trying the Vileda, she says she’s no longer convinced she needs one.

“Why do you need a steam mop when you can get this one?”

For Katrina, the combination of being lightweight, easy to wring, simple to manoeuvre and able to get into those awkward corners has made mopping feel much less frustrating. And despite going into the trial with low expectations, she’s now very happy to recommend it.

“I’m not trying to sell you a product, but I’m just saying that I’m very impressed with it. It’s really good.”

Her final verdict?

“It’s been really, really good. Recommend!”

This Real Story was provided as part of a paid sponsorship opportunity. Katrina was chosen to share her story because she was sent out and tried the Vileda Easy Wring & Clean TURBO Mop & Bucket Set, and genuinely loved it! And Vileda is so confident they’ve made the best spin mop ever, they’re backing the new & improved Easy Wring & Clean TURBO with a 5 Year Guarantee. 

  • This mop so good and the views all are positive so I just purchased one on milkrun through Woolworths and it come with 2 mop head refills. Can’t wait to use it.

    Reply

  • Yes, I couldn’t agree more. The Vileda spin mop is by far my favourite mop for a good thorough clean at home. I even got the landlords to purchase one for the holiday house I clean to make cleaning a breeze and get the job done properly. I always grab a spare when they’re out for half price.

    Reply

  • Ah, I received a ‘you’re a finalist’ email from MoM for this fantastic mop but didn’t receive anything beyond that. I was looking forward to giving this a try to compare the three existing options I have but alas. Looks good, fingers crossed I can try it in the near future!

    Reply

  • Omg! Yes! With 4 dogs and 4 teens AND the guests they bring home with them LOL our timber floors and tiles don’t stand a chance! I would love to see them add some wheels to the bottom of the bucket so that you don’t have to carry the bucket around with you.

    Reply

  • I feel like I really need to try out this mop now!!

    Reply

  • This sounds like an excellent mop that makes cleaning so easy! I love a product that not only is as effective as advertised but makes a job less grueling. I gotta say though, a steam mop that plugs in sounds like an awful idea. I have a tineco floor mop, which is cordless and charges at a base, and it’s incredible on my white tiles.

    Reply

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