Behind the Blog: Watching Someone Learning to Read

Oh my.

The school year has been intense for my little first grader.  She has grown by leaps and bounds.  She has learned so much in only half a school year so far!

That being said, I have almost no idea what the heck she does at school besides recess and lunch.  She doesn't much like to share her day with me.  It is is frustrating to say the least.

However, one thing I know is that her skill in reading has me really impressed!  She ended up with the teacher at her school whose passion is to teach others to read.  And that passion has really shown through in my child!

It has been great to see my kid go from reading slow and steady to reading at a "average" pace.  She reads words with ease that I can't help be impressed by.  Like...how did you even know that word child?  

But the best part of it all, is the sneak reading my child has started to do.  My kid has always been the kind that only does what she wants when she wants to do it.  If I push too hard, she just won't.  I was worried about her.  I love books, and she seems like she could care less.  But then, I realize books have moved off her shelf.  You can hear the pages turning in the other room.  She is reading on her own, not for homework, but in secret!

That makes my momma heart absolutely burst!

Review: The Big Book of Monsters: The Most Ghastly Ghouls, Bloodcurdling Beasts, and Wicked Witches from Classic Literature by Hal Johnson and Tim Sievert

 

Title: The Big Book of Monsters: The Most Ghastly Ghouls, Bloodcurdling Beasts, and Wicked Witches from Classic Literature

Author: Hal Johnson

Illustrator: Tim Sievert

Publication Date: Sept 3, 2019

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; Illustrated Edition

Source: Publisher

4 out of 5 cupcakes

I wasn't really sure what I was going to get from this book until I started reading through it.  I knew I was going to get monsters, of course, but I didn't know which ones or pay attention to where the monsters that were going to be discussed would be coming from.  I obviously lack the ability of reading the front cover or the title given for it on Goodreads.  I mean it says it right there in both of them, but I really had no idea...

Well, wouldn't you know it...a lot of the monsters have come from stories and written work!  Some of the monsters detailed within I knew about in some form or another.  Others, I knew from having read the actual work that they are featured in!

The way the book works is - it gives you a quick synopsis of the story the monster is from.  Then after that it will give you some other information relating to some aspect of the monsters story.  It may be a tidbit about the time period it came from, it may be a random fact in regards to the author, and it may even be other works where you can find similar monsters!  And some of these I found really interesting.

Now, as I said, I knew some of the monsters in the book before this from having read the actual source they are from.  I found the quick run down for those monsters a nice little refresher of their story.  Then for the monsters I had heard about before, but had not read about I found that I really had no idea what their stories were actually about!  I had no knowledge about The Invisible Man except for the part where he is invisible...  Now I know the synopsis of that book and it has definitely made me want to read the book so I can experience him in full!

Also, what is nice, is at the end of the book it gives some great resources.  There are some suggested readings, other monsters to look into and where to find them, some tips on picking translations for those that were not written in English in the first place, etc.

However, I will say that I was not a huge fan of the artwork, but that is very much just my own opinion.  I am also not a person in their targeted audience as this book is clearly aimed at older elementary and middle school kids.  I know my 6 year old found them a bit spooky, where I found them usually too bright and too cartoonish for my liking.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and the quick bits I got about literature and mythical monsters.  It was a great refresher for the ones I have read and a nice introduction into the ones I haven't encountered yet.

This review is based on an advanced reading copy.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and I received nothing in exchange for this review.

Behind the Blog: I'm Back!

 Once upon a time I had a book blog. I read a lot of books and wrote reviews on them. Sometimes I also had other book related content. In short, that blog was about books and only books.

Then I got burnt out on it.

About two years ago I more or less lost the desire to read. I went from reading over 100 books a year to maybe dragging myself through 10. I also didn't want to write reviews. I just felt so pointless.

In the time since then, I have branched out to other hobbies. And while reading stayed. I definitely was doing it less and less. I would color, play video games, craft, do a lot of different things really. While in the back of my mind I would be telling myself to get back into blogging.

And why shouldn't I? I enjoyed it. It was another creative outlet. But the idea of solely writing about the books I hadn't really been reading was just not very enticing to me. Neither was the idea of posting solely about anything else I am interested in.

For awhile now I have been thinking about how I shouldn't be only about books. I am into way more than the written word, even when I find those words to be quite lovely. And then, while reading tonight (yes reading! I am slowly getting back into it FINALLY), I decided that I am going to do it, that I am going to blog again!

So here I am. I really have no specific aim for this blog other than to share my interests with you. I will still share book reviews and bookish goodness with you, but I intend to share much more than that. I really hope you enjoy what you find here.

Behind the Blog: What Have I Been Reading

 It seems it is harder break old habits than I thought. So here I am, writing a post that involves books and reading.

My typical go to genres are almost anything that is labeled young adult, paranormal, or fantasy. However, at some point during my reading slump I found myself wanting to read books in the horror, psychological thriller, suspense genres.

I am not 100% why this switch happened. I think there are actually a few factors to this. The first and foremost one that comes to my mind is my 6 year old. She some how was discovering she liked kind of scary (but not too scary) things. So then I was trying to find age appropriate books to see if that would help get her to read more. The second was I had some pretty toxic people in my life not too long ago that were so against "darker" things that I think I may have been passive aggressively driven towards them. Yes, I realize that probably says a lot about me right there, but maybe we will cover that in a different post some day.

Also, this interestingly, does not extend to me watching shows or movies that are horror. I really have almost no desire to watch those. I prefer what my imagination can come up with from what I am reading to what some person decided would be cool to show me. And I am not really a fan of the pop out scare. Or the gross out for that matter. A nice, detailed description is all I need and my mind can take it where it needs to go.

Sadly, I don't usually find myself all that scared, psychologically thrilled, or dealing with too much suspense. Maybe I am just reading the wrong things. Maybe I have too high of expectations. Maybe this is the real reason I have been drawn to read these types of books lately. To see if I can find one that will get to me and satisfy what ever it is in me that needs to be satisfied.

This all being said, if you have any recommendations for me, from any age group, please let me know. I am always looking for something to help keep from falling back into my slump!

Sweet Treats to Eat While Reading a Frightening Tale

In celebration of this trilling middle grade read:

I am here to share with you some yummy treat ideas you could nom on while reading it!

First and foremost, seeing how Halloween has just happened I highly recommend grabbing a handful of that Halloween candy you collected before sitting down and snacking right on all that sugary goodness. 

Second, we cannot forget the cupcakes.  They are very necessary to all things and make everything better.  And there are so many flavor options.  You just cannot go wrong with this option.

For those who need caffeine in their life, another great option would be a frap coffee beverage.  Tasty, with many options, and it will help you out with your late night binge read. 

Cookies would be another yummy option.  And again, there are many different flavors.  White chocolate chip with macadamia sounds really good to me right now actually!

All in all, as long as it isn't too messy, nom on what you will!

Behind the Blog: What's Been Going On

Hey Everyone,

I realize I have been absent a bit in the last few months.  Is there a real reason why?  No, honestly there isn't.

I just haven't found the will or drive to do too much creating of things.  I haven't been coloring, crafting, or making any sort of art....so in kind I haven't found the drive to write a blog post.

Really, I am pretty much forcing myself to do this just so you all know that I am still here and that this blog is still going to be updated.  I love it too much to give it up.  It was there when there really wasn't much else and I don't intend to let it go.

Have I at least been reading?  Yes, I most definitely have!  I have sooooo many reviews I need to sit down and write.  And I have read some really good ones!  Ahh.  I feel like I am failing you all!

Also, I opened up my own Little Free Library in my neighborhood.  A post about this will come your way.  I love my little library!  Not many use it yet, but it is there for them!

I also started a Facebook book club.  So many people I know love to read, but none of them live near enough to anyone else to really have a physical book club...so I figured that this would be the next best thing!

So, in short, I am still here.  I am still sharing the book love with others.  And I am going to be better about posting!

Review: The Piper's Apprentice by Matthew Cody

Title: The Piper's Apprentice

Author: Matthew Cody

Series: The Secrets of the Pied Piper #3

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: October 24, 2017

Source: Publisher

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Well here we are.... with the third and final book in The Secrets of the Pied Piper series by Matthew Cody...

It has been a fun and wild ride.  The adventure was grand, the characters were (mostly loveable...dang villains!) and the story was a lot of fun.

The whole series is a take on the Pied Piper story.  You know the one....the Pied Piper comes in an plays his flute and all the rats follow him and leave the town.  Well in this one, the legend has it that the Pied Piper was angry at the town after he helped them, they didn't pay or something, so he came and took a bunch of their children away and never brought them back!

Then centuries later, our main characters, a set of siblings, find themselves neck deep in this legend.

As I already stated this book was a lot of fun.  It is the third installment to the series, so there isn't a lot that I can say that won't be a spoiler for some where in the story line for those that haven't read it yet.

But I can say that it is a continuation from where the 2nd book ended.  Not much time, if any has passed and the story does end in a way that is satisfying.  I will, however, miss these characters and this adventure.  I loved this creative world and the imagery it possessed.

Sorry, if this feels more like a review for the whole series rather than this book alone, but at this point, I can't really separate the books.  I enjoyed all of them, including the final one and did not find myself disappointed with it at all.

My Rating

4 Stars

This review is based on an eARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Review: The Magician's Key by Matthew Cody

Title: The Magician's Key

Series: The Secrets of the Pied Piper #2

Author: Matthew Cody

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: November 8, 2016

Source: Publisher

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

This series is just too much fun to pass on you guys!

The Magician's Key takes off where the first book in the series ended.  No pause in the story for us!  But I am definitely not complaining about that, it would have been weird if the author had left that gap.

That being said, if you haven't read book 1, but choose to read this review on book 2, you will most likely find yourself reading a spoiler or two for book 1.  You can find my review for book 1 right HERE though.

So in this story we still have our two main characters, but they are separated.  Max made it back to the regular world, but Carter is still hanging out on the Summer Isle.

Both have their separate adventures, but they tie in beautifully and it is very easy to follow the story even though it switches between the two and what each one is individually doing.

We also get to meet some new characters and get to know some of the old characters from book 1 even better.  It is quite a treat!

Carter is actually with the Pied Piper a good bit, so we really get to know him and some of his back story.  And Carter gets some great character development.

Max is the one who really ends up meeting most of the new faces that we come across in this story.  And, in my opinion, she probably has the harder adventure of the two.  She is the one who meets our newest villain in the story Vodnik.

We also get to learn more about the creatures that should be in the Summer Isle but are stranded back in the regular world not quite fitting it.

This book really brings the story even more to life than the first one did.  A great continuation to a wonderful adventure story!

My Rating

4 Stars

This review is based on an eARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Title: Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: August 16, 2011 (Original)

Publication Date: Crown (Original)

Source: Blogging for Books

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

This is actually a review of a reread.  See, I read it a few years ago on a recommendation...I think before the talk of a movie was even really happening.  But I had been wanting to reread it before the movie, and so when I saw it on Blogging for Books I thought it was the perfect opportunity.

And OMG you guys, I really forgot A LOT.  Definitely made the reread worth it.

Anyways...

The book is about a boy who lives in a dystopian type of world.  People are poor, they are hungry, the literally live in motor homes stacks upon each other to crazy high levels.  They also spend a lot of their time playing a video game.

See the video game in this world is better than reality.  They can do things in the digital world just like you can do in the real world.  Play sports, read books, play other video games, go to school, work, etc.  But the digital world lets them leave the real them behind and be whoever they want to be.  It changes reality and makes it better.

And then the creator, upon death, announced the ultimate challenge.  To find the hidden easter egg in his game.  For those who are not in the know, an easter egg is a hidden something that the developer of a game hides some where in it for people go discover.

And a lot of this story revolves around this hunt.  You have people wanting to find it and reap the amazing rewards.  And you have people wanting to find it to control the game and make more money off the already poor....that will do pretty much whatever it takes to keep themselves in the lead.

So a lot of the book, especially the beginning half contains quite a bit of world building.  So much so you might start finding yourself getting bored.  But it is kind of necessary.  The world is pretty detailed and works a special way.  And it is really kind of well done in the sense that you can easily imagine that our world has actually turned into the one that Ernest Cline created for this story.  It really isn't too much of a stretch.

Being a video game fan and a fan of the 80s will actually help you enjoy this book.  These are two things that are huge throughout the entire story.

Also, aside from world building and random 80s trivia, there is quite a bit of action.  It doesn't get too intense in my opinion, but it is definitely there.

Then there is character development.  You definitely see it in this book.  And you do find yourself caring about the characters.....  Personally I was smiling at one point.  It just filled me with happy.

Totally glad I did a reread of this book.  It was quite enjoyable.  I have no idea how it is going to be turned into a movie though.  Pretty sure a good bit is going to be changed.

My Rating

4.5 Stars

This review is based on a copy provided by the Blogging for Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Title: The Bear and the Nightingale

Author: Katherine Arden

Series: Winternight Trilogy #1

Publisher: Del Ray

Publication Date: January 10, 2017

Source: Publisher

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

I am going to be honest here.  This is yet another one of those books I picked up to read not knowing a dang thing about it.  I had the ARC and then I received the ARC for the 2nd book, and decided to move it way up my reading list.  I also kept hearing about it.  I was intrigued and wanted to find out why everyone was recommending the book.

The cover is really pretty too.

So it turned out this book is kind of a historical fantasy novel.  You have a girl who lives during the time period where a more Christian based religion is becoming popular in Russia and the old ways are being pushed out.  And it is the pushing out of the old ways that is the basis of the story and what causes a lot of things to happen.

Our main character, Vasilisa, is not a super pretty girl and she is a strange girl  She gets up to mischief a lot and has abilities that not many other have.  Her mother died giving birth to her and eventually her father remarried a women who did not want to be married in the first place.  This causes a lot of problems for Vasilisa...it is actually a huge factor in what happens in the story.

I am being very vague on purpose.  I don't really know how to describe what goes on in this book without giving away too much and accidentally giving you a spoiler.

But what I can tell you is this, this book reads like a fairy tale.  And it has a lot of fairy tale (especially Russian) fairy tale elements within the story.  It is actually quite a fun and magical read.  I enjoyed it a lot.

I did find that this book read a little slower for me, but it wasn't a bad thing per say.  It was like my brain was taking extra time to process and picture the story as I was reading it so that it got the elements down correctly.

Character wise, I found the priest to absolutely vile.  Katherine Arden wrote him pretty wonderfully.  Actually I think she wrote them all pretty well, but he sticks out the most.  Probably because every time he was mentioned I could feel my skin crawl with repulsion.

And I felt like I kind of learned a bit about Russian fairy tale and lore too, which is always an excellent thing to happen when you read.  Especially when you don't really realize it is happening.

I definitely enjoyed it and I am super happy I made it a priority read.  And I will be reading the rest of the series for sure!

My Rating

4 Stars

This review is based on an eARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts are mine and mine alone.

Review: The Tao of Bill Murray by Gavin Edwards

Title: The Tao of Bill Murray -  Real Life Stories of Joy, Enlightenment, and Party Crashing

Author: Gavin Edwards

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: September 20, 2016

Source: Publisher

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

I picked up this book thinking "hey I know who Bill Murray is!" and that I have enjoyed the majority of the movies I have seen him in. 

I figured it would be cool to get to know a bit more about the comedic genius that is Bill Murray.

And then...I actually read this book.

The Tao of Bill Murray shares a bunch of stories about Bill Murray over the years.  You learn a little bit about his start in life...but then you learn stories about him.  Things that happened on sets of movies, weird places he popped up and did things, strange adventures, etc.

And yes, some of it was kind of interesting.  And I definitely learned a good bit about Bill Murray.

But that is the problem.  What I learned about Bill Murray changed my perception about him a little bit.  And I really do not think that was supposed to be the intention of this book.

There were many times that it was mentioned in this book that Bill Murray is the kind of guy who does what he wants when he wants and how he wants.  You may want him to show up some where at a certain time, but if he doesn't feel like it, he won't be there.  But that is okay!  Because that is just Bill Murray....and that it is acceptable.  And I personally just found it hard to find that an acceptable trait in a person and felt that it was kind of rude...

And when I read this book, I really didn't want to find my opinion of Bill Murray to change towards the negative direction.  I wanted to continue to think of him as the comedic genius that is a little eccentric.  But that isn't what I got with this book.  And honestly?  I really don't think this was the intention of the author at all!

Personal problem?  Yes, it quite obviously is.  But it really hampered my enjoyment of the book.

But in the end, I did learn quite a bit of random information about him.  I really enjoyed the section about the movies.  There were stories from almost every single movie he has been in or has appeared in.  The exception being (as far as I could tell) the newest Ghostbusters movie.  And it was out already.  It was randomly mentioned in a different story, so I really thought it would have been included.  I did read the ARC though, so if it ended up being included in the final version, please feel free to correct me.

The other part I really enjoyed was the part where it wasn't really just random stories about Bill Murray...which was in the very beginning.  We get a brief description of his life and his beginning, and I found it fascinating and a very good read.

The rest of it...was more or less...stories of things he did, people he surprised, stuff that happened on movie sets, etc.  Sad to say, it got a little boring sometimes.

But I read it.  I learned things.  My opinion of him was changed, sadly not for the better, but maybe it won't be that way for you.

My Rating

3 Stars

This review is based on an eARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Review: Bookish Goodies from Literatee (with a giveaway!)

Hi Everyone!

I am so excited that I get to share with you a place to go and buy yourselves and/or your bookish loving people amazing bookish things!

I promise, this is a review, but I am not going to hold you in any sort of suspense for wanting to know how I truly feel about the products that this store has to offer.....  I LOVE THEM!

Okay okay.  Obviously I am getting ahead of myself here, I mean... I haven't even told you the NAME of the store yet!  Geesh!

So this cool and amazing bookish store that I am here to tell you about today is called Literatee  (www.literatee.com).  Isn't that just a fun name to say?  And super easy to remember if you ask me (and I am a person who does forget random things kind of often).

So in exchange for an honest review, Literatee  offered to let me pick out a couple of items of my own choosing so that I could check them out and let you guys know what I think about them.  And well, I couldn't pick.  I had to tell the lovely owner of Literatee, Larissa, to go ahead and pick for me.

And this here...this is what she sent me!  Isn't it the absolute cutest!  Both items were perfect for me and I absolutely love them.  They fit so perfect into my book loving life.  And I mean....a Harry Potter quote?  YES PLEASE!

In regards to the qualities of the items, I must say that I am please with both items.  The tote appears to be really sturdy.  The color of it is perfectly neutral and will go with most everyone.  The shirt (though I am not normally allowed to buy white for myself....I tend to stain it looking at it from a distance) is very soft and quite lovely too.  The images for both the t shirt and the tote are printed on too, not painted or appearing to just be sitting on the surface.  So the images (this is especially important for the tote I think) will be able to withstand use and not disappear on you.

Now, in regards to Larissa, I had the pleasure of talking back and forth with her via email as we discussed me doing a review, what I wanted, when she would send it, etc.  And I found her to be incredibly responsive and on top of things.  She is definitely the sort of person I like to buy items from - very responsive and great with communication.  I would not feel any sort of hesitation having to go to her if I ever did have any problems with one of her products.

And then there is the website itself.  I think it is absolutely beautiful and well done.  It is super easy to navigate.  And there are a lot of different categories - literary shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, book tote bags, and a lot more.  The only thing I kind of wish were available, that don't appear to be there at this time are hoodies and more color options for various shirt designs.  But all in all, these not being currently available at Literatee does nothing to how I feel about their product over all.  It would just make it just tad bit more awesome.

So, yes, I like Literatee.  And when I need to buy some gifts for book loving friends, it is definitely going to be on my list of stores to shop at.  I know more than one person who could really use the Cat Lover Tee in their lives!

This review is based on items received in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Giveaway

You didn't think I would leave you all a raving review about Literatee and not give you a giveaway where you can with a $30 eGiftcard to spend on the website did you?  This giveaway is for US residents only!  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: A Poison Dark and Drowning by Jessica Cluess

Title: A Poison Dark and Drowning

Author: Jessica Cluess

Series: Kingdom on Fire #2

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: September 19, 2017

Source: Blogging for Books

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Color me excited when I got a hold of a copy of A Poison Dark and Drowning to review!  I even made myself reread book one, A Shadow Bright and Burning (find my review HERE) before I let myself read it since it had been such a long time.

This being said, this is a 2nd book in a series....so there may be spoilers for book 1.  Consider yourself warned.



This book takes place not too long after the first book ends.  Henrietta is living with Blackwood at his estate as his guest/friend.  She is working to try to find a cure for Rook.  The world is still in ever worsening danger.  And the Ancients are demanding that the Sorcerers hand her over.

This book is definitely action packed.  And filled with a lot of twists and turns.  Some of which I expected and others surprised me.  And of course, new ones were brought up, and I have my suspicions on how they will turn out...

As far as character development goes in this story, I am kind of disappointed in how some of the guys have gone.  Actually I think I am disappointed in all of them.  Except Rook.  I still do not care about Rook.  Two books have gone by and I still could do without him.  He feels like a background character that isn't actually supposed to be a background character.  But he feels so flat compared to other characters.  Flat and boring.  And I really hope the other guys get redeemed in the third book.  I am really not happy with how either Magnus and Blackwood have developed/or failed to develop so far.

And the love square?  I am kind of really over that.  A triangle is bad enough...but a freaking square?  That is probably my biggest complaint with this series.  Our heroine just seems to be ready to go to which ever guy will flutter his pretty lashes in her direction.  She just keeps flipping and flopping all over the place with them.  I still have my preference as to which one I like the best, and I have them ranked.  But, I am very ready for her to decide and stop dragging that part on.

And we did get some new characters and new bits of the world explained to us.  All of which was pretty cool and interesting.  The weird feeling between Magicians, Sorcerers, and Witches has a bit more development.  We learn a lot more about the Ancients too.  A whole lot more!

It will be really interesting to see how book 3 goes for this series.  I love the characters and the world.  And I really want to see how they make it through their new challenges!

My Rating

4.5 Stars

This review is based on a copy provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts are mine and mine alone.

Book Review: History's Mysteries by Kitson Jazynka

Title: History's Mysteries: Curious Clues, Cold Cases, and Puzzles From the Past

Author: Kitson Jazynka

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books

Publication Date: October 17, 2017

Source: Publisher

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Oh my freaking goodness!  I had no idea I would love this book as much as I actually did!  Truth be told, I am actually kind of sad that it ended.

History's Mysteries is filled to the brim with bits of stories and information on a lot of different topics.  All of which are unsolved or things not quite figured out (and may never be).  And it covers quite a range of topics - buildings/structures, creatures, lost things....

Some of the things in the book I kind of knew about, but not really.  An example of this would be Stonehenge.  I of course have heard about it, but I haven't really looked into much information on it.  And while this book doesn't have a lot of information on any one thing, it does have some pretty good information for each thing.  So I definitely learned some new stuff on something I already knew a little about.

Then there were the things I had no idea about!  Like the "money pit" up in Novia Scotia.  Oh my goodness!  That thing sounded so cool!  I actually ended up doing some Googling on it and learned that there is a show on the History Channel just about that!  So now I need to see if I can find that show to watch it!

This book, while it doesn't have a lot of information on any one thing, it has enough information to get your feet wet and to entice you to want to learn more on the subjects that it covers.  This is a great book for those who like to learn random bits of information about things.  And it may just convince them to do some further research onto some of the topics like it did for me!

If you can't tell, I totally recommend this book!

My Rating

5 Stars

This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Review: The Peddler's Road by Matthew Cody

Title: The Peddler's Road

Author: Matthew Cody

Series: The Secrets of the Pied Piper

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: October 27, 2015

Source: Publisher

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

A retelling!  For a story I don't normally run into a retelling for!  So of course I had to give it a shot.

And boy am I glad I did!

This particular retelling, if you cannot tell from the title is of the Pied Piper story.  You know the one?  The one where the pied piper comes and plays his music and removes all the rats from the town.

Well in this one, once upon a time, he did do that...and then the village didn't pay the price that he asked, so he came and took all the children.  Minus one - that kid couldn't make it.  Or at least that is the story the town tells.  But everyone else just believes them to be fairy tales.

Then we come to more of a now time in history and there are two kids, Max and Carter, are in the town of the story with their dad (a person who researches fairytales) and things start happening.

First they see a strange person hiding out in the shadows.  Then they have their house flooded with rats....and then they find themselves in a strange place with all the children of Hamelin that were taken over 100 years ago!

Then from there the adventure starts.  They, obviously, want to find their way home.  And they want to help the kids find their way back too.

Of course, there are giant evil rats in the way.  And some wizards.  And some fairies....  And other creatures...

It is quite a fun story!  I really enjoyed it!  The adventure was actually quite fun, filled with little twists and turns.  The world was very creative too.  There were so many different types of "creatures" and "beings" that we encountered through the whole story.  You never really knew who would turn up next.  And the characters themselves were quite enjoyable.  They all had their distinct personalities, and I found myself enjoying the crass old wizard guy.

There are more books in this series, and yes I am totally going to read them!

My Rating

4 Stars

This review is based on an eARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts are mine and mine alone.

Review: Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer

Title: Spindle Fire

Author: Lexa Hillyer

Series: Spindle Fire #1

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication Date: April 11, 2017

Source: Glasstown Entertainment

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Color me excited when I was asked if I wanted to review Spindle Fire.  If you are follower of my blog you already know how much I love a fairy tale retelling.  I only tell you all every single time I read one how much I love them.  If you are new here...well...be warned... I really like fairy tale retellings!

Spindle Fire is actually a retelling of Sleeping Beauty!  This story has seeds of the story that we know, but there are some considerable differences (yay!).

In this version Aurora cannot talk and she cannot feel pain.  Those traits have been tithed (traded) away from her thanks to her parents for other fairy gifts that they deemed more important for a princess to have.  And she has an older half sister named Isabelle.  Isabelle cannot see.  Her eyesight has also been tithed away by her parents.

The two have an amazing relationship despite them being so different.  Aurora is light and beautiful where Isabelle is dark.  Aurora finds solace in stories and Isabelle loves adventure.  Two sides of the same coin almost, but their love for each other transcends all.

This is actually where the regular Sleeping Beauty story comes into play.  Isabelle was going to be sent away to live in a convent once Aurora was married to a prince (originally supposed to be Prince Phillip) so Isabelle ran away with her friend Gil.  Aurora then chased after her sister... and one thing led to another and she pricked her finger on the ever famous spinning wheel that puts her to sleep.

Then things happen to both of them and the story unfolds.

The writing of Spindle Fire feels as though you are reading a fairy tale which only adds to its flavor.  It is almost musical in the way that it reads.  It instantly pulled me into the world and drowned me.  I loved it.  I had absolutely no problem imagining this story and the characters within.

I also loved that the story only had little seeds of the original fairy tale and then takes it on to its own new story.  There is enough there that you can tell where it has come from, but it is different enough that you don't feel like you are reading the same old story.

I also enjoyed the characters.  I actually cannot tell you which sister I liked the most.  They each have their own traits that made them their own.  They had things I liked and things I didn't, but that only made them more real in my mind.  I mean, who likes everything about anyone?  And I definitely felt that, especially Aurora, had some character growth and I can only hope to see even more of that in the next book.  I do think some of the side characters and their relationships with our main characters fell a little short though and felt some what forced at times.  However, the main characters definitely shined.

In short, I really enjoyed this retelling and thought it was done very well!

My Rating

4 Stars

This review is based on a digital copy provided by Glasstown Entertainment in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Review: The Breathless by Tara Goedjen

Title: The Breathless

Series: Stand Alone

Author: Tara Goedjen

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication Date: October 10, 2017

Source: Publisher

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Let me completely honest with you here.  I finished reading The Breathless a couple of weeks ago and have just been sitting on writing this review.  Why?  Because I have no idea really what to say to you about it.  And I have been finding myself still lost in thought over things that happened in this story.

The Breathless was one of those books where you read it and it just makes you think.  A lot of things happen in this story and the writing is beautiful.  But there is something about it that makes you keep going "hmm" when it's over and done with.

The Breathless is about a girl named Mae.  Her sister had suffered a tragic death - the kind where they think she was murdered and they think that her boyfriend is too blame.  However, her boyfriend has been missing since it happened...almost a year.  Her sister then finds this mysterious book and other strange things start happening....

One thing really just rolls into another and you find yourself spellbound by the story within.  Yes, sometimes you can pretty much see what is happening, you don't really find yourself caring that much.  The story telling is superb and it makes up for that *some* of the story is predictable.

Now, you may recall that I told you I keep thinking on this book.  And it is because that despite being able to predict things, there were other bits I was not.  And there are strange bits littered throughout the story.  It was one of those books that when I finished I was really tempted to go back and reread it again.  To see the things that I missed.  Part of me thinks, though, that if I were to do that I may be even more confused than I am.

There is just such an air of mystery and intrigue to The Breathless.  I am not really sure if we are supposed to be able to decipher all of the strange.

I have really wanted to discuss this book with someone since I read it, so please contact me once you finish!

My Rating

5 Stars

This review is based on an eARC copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Book Review: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Title: The Invisible Library

Author: Genevieve Cogman

Series: The Invisible Library #1

Publisher: Ace, Reprint Edition

Publication Date: June 14, 2016

Source: Blogging for Books

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Oh my goodness this book.  I had heard things on and off about this series from the book world via the internet...and then one day I saw it was available on Blogging for Books.  So I snatched it right up.

Then I finally got to where I had time to read this book in my not so busy but some how it is still busy life.  I cracked opened the covers and started reading.  I was instantly hooked on the world

I will admit that it took me a little bit to be fully drawn into the story, but when I started it off, I was not in the best place mentally.  I blame this small problem wholly on this.  By the time I was done with the book, my mental status had much improved and I was LOVING this book.  ABSOLUTELY LOVING!

What we have here is not an alternate history book, not really.  It is an alternate reality book that happens to take place in our past.  It also has a touch of paranormal and steampunk.  Really right up my alley.  I should have read this much sooner.

So we have our main character Irene.  She gets charged by The Library to go find a book in a specific world.  The Library likes to collect books for various reasons and it sends its Librarians out to retrieve them.  Sometimes the retrieval is easy, other times it is not.  As you can guess this time was no so easy.

We meet a huge cast of characters and not all of them are human!  The world she is sent into has all sorts of creatures in it - vampires, fae, werewolves, humans, and more.  So much awesome!

My favorite character by far was Vale.  But I happen to love Sherlock Holmes and Vale is very reminiscent of him.  So don't mind me while I drool over him.  Kai, Irene's trainee was okay I guess.  But Vale was *yes*

The steampunk element was definitely there, but I do wish it had had a bit more.  As I love steampunk, but that is okay.  It didn't really diminish the story or the world for me.  I guess I am just greedy when it comes to wanting more of an element or something.

I am now a huge fan of these characters and look forward to making time to read the rest of the books in this series!

My Rating

4.5 Stars

This review is based on a copy provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Blog Tour: The Hawkweed Legacy by Irena Brignull

Title: The Hawkweed Legacy

Author: Irena Brignull

Series: The Hawkweed Prophecy #2

Publisher: Weinstein Books

Publication Date: August 15, 2017

Source: Publisher/Irish Banana Blog Tours

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Today the book I have to talk to you about is The Hawkweed Legacy by Irena Brignull.  It is the second book in the The Hawkweed Prophecy series.

This review will contain some spoilers for book one.  If you have not read book one, you may not want to proceed with reading my review.  Consider yourself warned.

This book has a myriad of characters but the one that sticks out the most is Poppy.  We learned in the previous book that Poppy grew up as a chaff (a normal human) when she is not one.  She is, in fact, a witch.  Now, in this book Poppy has left the clan and is trying to figure out her life.

The other characters from book 1 also reappear in book 2, along with some new faces.  We have Ember, who having grown up as a witch, is now in the chaff world.  She is trying to navigate it the best that she can.  And there is definitely more Leo.  Love sick Leo.

I have to say that the love triangle thing, like with the first book, still got on my nerves a little bit.  Maybe it is because I read the first book so close to the 2nd (I don't usually read series books so close together) that I am actually still stuck on my issues with that from the first one and it is just a carry over effect.  But there were too many bits of it that irked me.

However, aside from the triangle, I enjoyed the story.  Once again Irena Brignull writes wonderfully descriptive passages that just pull you into the story.  While reading, I just could not help but imagine the world and feel as though I was there along side them.

Beautiful, descriptive, and an enthralling read.  I definitely recommend it.

My Rating

4 Stars

This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Follow the Rest of the Tour!

8/21: Two Chicks on Books - Q&A

8/22: Wandering Bark Books - Guest Post

8/23: In Wonderland - Review

8/24: A Binding Attraction - Top 10

8/25: Miranda's Book Blog - Guest Post

8/26: Reading Is Better With Cupcakes - Review

8/27: The Irish Banana Review - Fast 5

8/28: books are love - Q&A

8/29: A Backwards Story - Review

8/30: Rants and Raves of a Bibliophile - Top 10

8/31: Live To Read - Review

9/1: Just Commonly - Review

9/2: Quartzfeather - Review

9/3: Lori's Little House of Reviews - Review

9/4: Never Too Many To Read - Bookish Collage

Review: The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull

Title: The Hawkweed Prophecy

Author: Irena Brignull

Series: The Hawkweed Series #1

Publisher: Weinstein Books

Publication Date: September 6, 2016

Source: Publisher/Irish Banana Blog Tours

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Imagine if you grew up in a place where you didn't feel like you fit in.  It didn't matter how hard you tried, it just never worked.  You were always the odd duck.  The weird one.  The one who just wasn't..."right."

That is how it is for both of your main female characters, Poppy and Ember.

Poppy has grown up in the "normal" world.  No magic exists.  However, she can make things happen.  It doesn't matter if she means it to or not.  She may just lose her temper.  And the cats.  The cats follow her every where.  Unfortunately for Poppy this has strained her relationship with her parents. Her mother is even in an institution because of her daughters....oddness.

And Ember.  She is a sweet innocent girl who has grown up in a caravan of women.  And in her world magic is very much real.  The women can make things happen.  However, Ember can't.  No matter how hard she tries, she cannot cast a spell or make things happen.  Making the poor girl an outcast.

One day the girls meet and they become friends and the story unwinds from there.

There is a boy in this story.  His name is Leo.  And if you like instant love and triangles, you will like the relationship stuff that goes on.  It is very much insta-love.  See the boy, fall for the boy, and oh my goodness no one could possibly be better than this boy!

It is really kind of annoying.  And in my opinion, the down fall of this book.

When the book wasn't dealing with the insta-love triangle thing it had a pretty good story arc.  And the way it was written was great!  I kept finding myself pulled in.  Things were described so vividly.  I found myself impressed more than once with how Irena Brignull wrote various scenes.

I also have to say that I didn't really like Poppy very much.  She started kind of growing on me towards the end, but I think that was because she finally started to show some sort of growth.  Other wise I found her one dimensional and very full of her self (and very stuck on that insta-love).  I definitely liked Ember more.

All in all, a good book.  It was slow at times and then at other times it's pace picked up.  I must warn you though that there is animal cruelty.  If you would like to know more about that specifically, you can feel free to contact me!

My Rating

3 Stars

This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.