Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Book Review: Searching For Sky by Jillian Cantor- Coming 5/13/2014



Searching For Sky by Jillian Cantor
Children’s Fiction/Teen & YA
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
Releases on May 13th, 2014
Read April 27th-28th, 2014

       I really enjoyed Searching For Sky.  It was told from a perspective that I haven't heard before and by a character who drew me in and captivated me with her story, thoughts, and fears.  I felt for her and, like her, just wanted her to be able to return to her old life, where simplicity was all she knew. 

       Searching For Sky is about a young girl and boy, River, who were raised on a deserted island, where their boat crashed when they were only toddlers.  They don't remember their life before, Island is all they've known.  Their parents had died a year before and they have been by themselves since.  They are rescued by a passing boat, not necessarily willingly, and taking to a Military hospital in America in order to find out who they are and get them through customs.
       Sky goes to live with her estranged grandmother in California and is separated from River.  Sky only wants to be with River, who is the one and only familiar face and comfort she longs for, and wants to leave with him and find a way back to Island.  Unfortunately, Sky is stuck with her grandmother who is trying to help her catch up in society.   She is bombarded with experiencing things she's never done or seen and is forced to learn how to conform to a society that she never knew existed.  She learns new words, society’s dos and don’ts, wears shoes for the first time, and struggles to stay calm in a fast-past world.  On Island she was confident, able, and happy.  Now she is unsure, confused, and lonely.
       As things progress and the past is revealed, Sky learns things about those she loved that is far beyond disturbing.  She has a hard time accepting the truth.  Those who she loved and knew had lived lives in the past that she could never had imagined.  She learns what happened before Island and how those events are continuing to effect people and play a part in her current situation. 

       Sky is such a strong character, both in the book and psychologically.  On Island, she is the logical one, River is the dreamer.  Sky takes care of what needs to be done in order to survive.  Though she faces the unknown, she fights for what she believes is right and for what she wants.
       One thing that really irked me was that darn grandmother!  She continued to dismiss Sky’s request to see River, to at least make sure he was okay, even after they returned to her house.  She kept Sky away from him and wouldn’t answer the questions Sky wanted answers to, the questions she deserved answers to.  She seemed a little bit like a goodie-two-shoes when she hired the best people to help Sky along in her schooling and therapy.  Then there’s her lack of understanding and forgiveness in realizing that River is not his father, they were two different people, completely different in both heart and mind.  This does not take away from the essence of the book, believe me.  The grandmother was a needed character and helped the story along, she made the book more realistic: believable and relatable.  Plus, not every character in a book is loved.  Believe me, I’ve read my fair share of books.
       I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any readers 12+ years, especially those who enjoy realistic fiction.  It is sort of like a reverse dystopian story: it is very thought provoking in a way that makes you think about what’s really important.  Material things come and go, fads change, houses and cars can be bought and sold… but the people we let into our lives and form a relationship with, a bond, those are what’s irreplaceable. Sure people come and go, they are born and then pass away,  but that love that we share with them can never be bought, sold, buried, stored, or forgotten.  It is a living, breathing part of us. Love remains.

Dearest readers

Dearest readers,
I'm so sorry I haven't been on board this blog boat in a while... my internet had been down at my house and I wasn't able to get to any of my local cafe's this week to sit down and write.  My most sincere apologies, friends!
I have to share this cute story, it'll just take a minute... I work in the office where children are our main customers.  To entertain them as they wait, we have a few children's books upstairs.  There is one little girl who I see once a month.  She brings down books for me to fix (if they are torn or broken).  I tell her I'll take them to the book hospital and get them better.  Her mom says that her daughter cries when she sees books in bad shape.;.. that is just the sweetest thing!!!  A girl after my own heart, I tell ya... cries when she sees books mistreated.  What a cutie pie!

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Book Review: Tandem by Anna Jarzeb

Photo by Alexandra Fletcher

       I love reading books with adventures in universal travels, such as traveling between parallel universes.  That is exactly what this book is about!  Tandem is a great read for anyone who enjoys action and a wee bit of romance.  It is a story filled with political power and manipulation, secrets, and caution.  Who can you really trust?

The Story Line:
       The princess of Aurora has been kidnapped!  Sasha is taken from her world to temporarily replace the princess in order to keep the peace they seek with their enemy.  If she refuses, she will not be able to get home and will be kept in Aurora by the General, a man who has his own agenda.  Sasha just wants to go home, so she enters Princess Juliana's life with facts but no real sense of who she is.  Thomas deceived her in order to get her to Aurora but he is the only person she can look to for help along the way as she plays the part.  Sasha discovers that people will do anything to get what they want, no matter how it effects others.  People hide things deep within themselves, even from those they care for most.
       It is easy to follow along with the story line, especially when they are describing the technicalities of how to travel between the parallel worlds (which doesn't happen too often in books with scientific explanations).  Things happen a little slow in the beginning but quickly speed up once Sasha is taking to a parallel universe.The words flow well together and there are a few in each chapter that I had to look up and add to my mental dictionary.  I love that!  The book never gets boring and has plenty of happenings to keep you wanting more.  It ended with a lot of questions but not in a bad way.  As Stephen King once said, 'Good books don't give up all their secrets at once.'  I am doing my very best to wait patiently for the second book.

The Characters:
       Though I loved the story line of the book, I thought the characters could use a lot more depth:
       Sasha is your average teenage girl with high school crushes and lives a fairly normal life.  At first glance, she seems a little silly and too trusting but once she is kidnapped, her instincts kick in and she runs the first chance she gets.  Some reviewers say she is too trusting and forgiving of Thomas, but HELLOOOO?! She is in a strange land- no, world- and doesn't know anyone!  Of course she's going to be a bit emotional and out of her element, put yourself in her shoes.  Thomas is the only face she recognizes and is comforted by the thought of him being there.  She is sweet and caring, even about the people in a world where she doesn't belong: she plays the part of Princess Juliana not only to get home but to spare the innocent lives of the people of Aurora, attempting to prevent a war between Aurora and their enemy, Farnham.
       One of my favorite parts was when she receives a gift from the prince of Farnham... a potato.  I know, right? That's exactly what Sasha thinks.  She says she's had a potato before and her step-mother, the queen, says, "When have you ever eaten a potato, Juliana?" Haha, forgetting that she's playing the part of the princess, she doesn't realize potatoes only grow in Farnham and Aurora is in trade with them currently, due to the impending war.  Sasha tries to cover her mistake and replies, "I-I'm sure I have." Ha! Potatoes.
       Thomas is an analog (copy of but not the same) of a boy on earth named Grant.  They look the same but are from different universes.  Sasha thought Thomas was Grant when she met him and that's how he deceived her in order to kidnap her and bring her to Aurora.  He is a young man used to following orders.  He is extremely loyal and hardworking.  But he is a bit loyal a fault, expecting the best in others, and putting up walls to things he doesn't want to know are true.  He is very likeable, though.  He is protective of Sasha and wants to see her home safely, even if that means never seeing her again.

       I'd recommend this book to anyone 12+ years, boy or girl.  I sincerely hope you enjoy the book!  If not, don't dis on it.  Simply read the next book on your list and move on.  There are plenty of other books in the sea. ;o)

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Dear writers-in-progress: Don't give up

     Author Shelly Crane gives the simplest advice on her blog: http://shellycrane.blogspot.com/2014/04/im-so-thankful-for-those-rejections.html

     She celebrates the anniversary of her first rejection letter.  Why? Because that was the start of many rejection letters, soon followed by her first published book.  Nineteen books later and she is still going strong!

     "All the happenings we think of as failures in our life are simply reminders that something better is in store for us.  If something doesn't work out, it just means that what is meant to be is still being prepared; it's under construction. The rejections are simply the caution tape, keeping us from seeing the final result until it is completely finished- because only then can we truly appreciate the purpose and reason for it all." -Me

Friday, April 11, 2014

Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens

"Channel your brave."

Via Twitter & EpicReads: "Thanks for joining our chat with ! If you missed it, catch the replay here: "

Her book was just released 2/23/2014.  I haven't read it yet, but I tuned into to Epic Reads' live video chat (link above) and she is a spectacular gal and her book sounds just splendid! It is definitely going at the top of my TBR-sooner list.  You see, I have a TBR list and a TBR-sooner list... it's a addiction! Ha!

Here's the blurb:
An edgy, realistic, and utterly captivating novel from an exciting new voice in teen fiction.

Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in "the Kool-Aid Kid," who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.

A searing, poignant book, Faking Normal is the extraordinary debut novel from an exciting new author-Courtney C. Stevens.




Tuesday Teaser for ALTERED- courtsey of Shelly Crane

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

TEASER TUESDAY : Altered, a Devoured novella

Enoch sighed and pushed me back even further as he turned to face them again. 
“Do you trust me?” he asked in a low voice as he pushed harder and faster.
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation.
“Hold on tight to me.”
In a second before I could think of what he was doing, he snatched me against his chest and sent us sailing over the dock’s edge into the water. I could hear cursing and yelling, even some loud bangs that had to be gunshots, but I just held on tight.
A deep voice boomed, “Don’t shoot! We need her alive!”
We landed in the freezing water and he pulled me under farther and farther. We swam hard toward the opposite dock. If we surfaced before we made the cover of it, they’d kill us for sure.
       The deeper and farther we got, the more I needed to a breath. I started to panic and began to fight him. He didn’t understand that I couldn’t breathe like him, that I needed air more often—and then his lips were on mine.

 
April 30th!
 
http://shellycrane.blogspot.com/2014/04/teaser-tuesday-altered-devoured-novella.html
 
 
 

Smashwords.com

          I admit to having feelings of guilt when reading books via my I-phone... I feel like I'm cheating on books, and my sister- she'll give you the stink-eye for even considering reading on a kindle over the real deal.  ALTHOUGH, absolutely nothing compares to holding a tangible book in your hands... the feeling of ownership you get, knowing that you own your own adventure, your own escape from reality, is incomparable. And the smell!!!  Oh, the smell of books is my favorite thing!  Who's with me? When I walk into Powell's Bookstore...oh man. If I ever run into a cute guy who picks up a book and smells it (in a totally not-creepy and very attractive way), I could just kiss him! Haha, my mother would die if she ever heard that... or laugh. Yeah, she'd probably laugh.
          ANYwhooooo, back to my main point.  I DO buy e-books and want to recommend Smashwords.com to everyone.  I started out using I-books but too often they take forever to release new books.  I liked having all my books in one place, so I only used this for a good, long while. Then I got tired of waiting, so I purchased some books off Amazon.com for the 'Kindle' version for my I-phone. I haven't had any trouble with it but I really like smashwords a heck of a lot better.  First off, they have everything!  Most authors use smashwords and they often have free things.  But here is MY NUMBER ONE REASON: Smashwords offers books in all sorts of forms. You can access your smashwords library from anywhere and can download it however you'd like: kindle, pdf, and more (I'm not completely confident in what they are). You can even read them online! This is the best of news for people who work in an office like me... good news for them, bad news for their bosses, haha! Unless their bosses are book-lovers, too, but my guess is probably not... so don't get caught!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Chanda Hahn- The Silver Siren

OHMYGOSH OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYLANTA OHMYGOSH  OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYLANTA OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYLANTA OHMYGOSH OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYLANTA OHMYGOSH  OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYLANTA OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYLANTA OHMYGOSH OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYLANTA OHMYGOSH  OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYLANTA OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYLANTA OHMYGOSH OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYLANTA OHMYGOSH  OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYLANTA OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYGOLLY OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYHEAVENS OHMYGRACIOUS OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYLANTA

IT'S COMING! IT'S FINALLY COMING!! IT'S ALMOST HERE, MY GOOD PEOPLE!!!

Julie Kagawa- BIG BOOK NEWS!

Just a few things to blow your mind:

1. Julie Kagawa's book The Immortal Rules is FREE on iBooks for a very limited time. Grab it while you can!!!  And on this note... The Forever Song, the third and final book in the Blood Of Eden series, comes out THIS WEEK!!!!! On April 15th people, that's in five days... AAAHHHHH!!!! So stoked :D

2. Julie is also doing a TEASER TUESDAY for her upcoming book Talon: a book abut dragons who can disguise themselves in human form.  They have been hunted and killed for centuries.  When a dragon slayer and a dragon in human form start a friendship, things are in for a bumpy ride.  ALSO, the cover reveal will be on April 15th, the same day as the release for The Forever Song.  Share info about it and Julie will reward a special someone. ;)  Just go here: http://juliekagawa.blogspot.com/2014/04/talon-cover-reveal-contest.html?showComment=1397162331042#c3265707343802699842
 
OH, WHAT A GOOD DAY IT WILL BE! 

 
 BETTER NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!
The Forever Song, a book with vampires, comes out April 15th during the Blood Moon Eclipse... Beyond cool!!! Coincidence? Way to go, Julie Kagawa! You just blew everyone's mind.

AAAAAAND....  who doesn't love an author interview??!! :D  Check out this interview with Julie Kagawa: http://www.tickettoanywhere.net/2014/04/author-interview-julie-kagawa-forever-song.html

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (first book in the Lux Series)

          Okay guys, time to get serious about this party... My plan is to do at least one book blog a week and reviewing anything and everything I've read, so stay tuned... Maybe if this takes off down the road, I could get into doing book review videos or giveaways perhaps.  I can't afford books for me but I can afford books for you. :)
          FIRST OFF, as Jennifer L. Armentrout would say, 'holy alien babies everywhere!'  Wow!  Armentrout has written this A-M-A-Zing Lux Book Series; so amazing balls that I finished all four books in exactly one week, and they're fairly long books!
          I LOVE THIS SERIES SO STINKIN' MUCH, IT'S RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Never EVER have I laughed so hard and so much while reading a book... or watching a movie, play, old family videos, you name it!  Neither have I ever blushed so much, Daemon is plenty of swoon-worthiness.  The characters are beyond being well developed, the story line is complete (there are always those things you find out a book or two later, that's expected), and there is plenty of action, love, drama, and mystery to keep you reading until 4:17am while consciously knowing you have to work 11 hours the next day.
          Out of all the books I've read this past year, these are probably on my list of top-ten favorites, and I am definitely a list-making type of gal, so that's sayin' a lot.  Katy is my favorite main character of all time.  She's real, laid back, and not too much of a worry-wart.  She's not anti-social but she'd rather be at home doing her own thing than out and about, just like me.  Bonus points: she loves books!!! She has them laying all around the house in random places but knows exactly where each and every one of them are.  She blogs and shares reviews of the books she reads... go figure that I'd like a girl like that. ;)
          So here's a bit about the first book, Obsidian.  I don't want to give anything away for the other three books and share any spoilers.  If you guys ARE interested in hearing about the others, just let me know and I'll get right on that.
          1. Obsidian - After her dad dies, Katy moves to a small town with her mom and makes friends with her neighbor, Dee. That is, until said neighbors' twin brother, Daemon, opens the door- shirtless and smoking hot- and then opens his mouth, almost making you forget about his melt-your-clothes-off-hotness because he is utterly rude, completely arrogant, and absolutely infuriating.  For most of the book I wanted to hit him with a wet sock!  Katy wants to be friends with Dee but Daemon keeps pushing her away.  At one point in the story, Katy's life is in danger and Daemon freezes her surroundings so that he can save her.  In doing so, he also lit her up like a Christmas tree with his alien mojo- yes, ALIEN, but not the freaky E.T. phone-home kind. No, Daemon is a race made of light, with abilities beyond what anyone, any human, on earth could ever imagine. When he saved Katy, his light fused with her and made her glow in a way that would lure his enemy to her, the Arum, who travelled from the same planet Daemon and Dee did.  Thus until the effects fade away, Daemon has to stick around in order to protect Katy from his enemies because if they find her, they'll find him, and that is not an option.

And for your entertainment... just keep in mind that you don't fully grasp the character of Daemon from this review... it's a you-have-to-have-read-it-to-get-it kind of thing, but either way, it's a great scene from the book:
          And he was shirtless. (Daemon)
          "Doesn't he own a shirt?" I asked, grabbing a spade. (she's gardening)
          "Unfortunately, I don't think so. Not even in the winter. He's always running around half-dressed." Dee groaned. "It's disturbing that I have to see so much of his...skin. Yuck."
          Yuck for her. And hot damn for me. I starting digging several holes in strategic places. My throat felt dry. Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys.

And yet again:
          "That's not why I'm here." (Daemon)
          ...
          "Then why are you here, other than delivering a crappy apology?" I couldn't stop staring at his mouth when he spoke. I bet he knew how to kiss. Perfect kisses too, the ones that weren't wet and gross, but the kind that curled toes.
          I needed to stop looking at him in general.
          Daemon placed all the supplies on the porch steps and straightened. Stretching his arms over his head, his shirt rode up, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of muscles. His gaze lingered on my face, and warmth blossomed in my belly. "Maybe I'm just curious why she is so enamored. Dee doesn't take well to strangers. None of us do."
          "I had a dog once that didn't take well to strangers."
          Daemon stared at me a moment, then laughed. I was a deep, rumbling sound. Nice. Sexy. Oh God, I looked away. He was the kind of boy that broke hearts and left a long line of them shattered behind him. He was trouble. Maybe the fun kind of trouble, but he was also a jerk. And I didn't do jerks. Not that I did anyone.

          If only I were an alien, I'd give three thumbs-up to Jennifer L. Armentrout to her creativity and ingenuity of this unforgettable and totally re-readable Lux book series.  DON'T FORGET TO MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!!  Opposition, the fifth and final book in the Lux series, will be released on August 5th, 2014.  AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!  There is most definitely a happy dance happening right now. :D