Interview with Susan Dennard -Strange and Ever After

Strange and Ever After

Release Date: July 22, 2014

If there is a summer book release that I am looking forward to, it would be Susan Dennard's Strange and Ever After. If you have not read the first two books of the series (Something Strange and Deadly and A Darkness Strange and Lovely), please pick them up and read them!!! I promise you, the books won't let you down. They are filled with mystery, surprises, and horror. 

I had the great opportunity to talk with Susan Dennard about Strange and Ever After, the final and third book of her AWESOME trilogy. Hear is what she has to say about the conclusion of her trilogy!

1. If there is one thing that you want your readers to learn from the character Eleanor, what would it be?

Oooh, tough question! I guess I would like readers to learn (as Eleanor does) that there's always a choice--always. We choose not only what we do in life, but how we feel, how we face the future, and how we react to each other. All of the characters in the series struggle with this idea of choice--and this misconception that they don't have one.

So as Jie said in Something Strange and Deadly: "We always have a choice."

2. Ollie was one of my favorite characters in the series. Will readers learn more about Ollie’s background story in the third book?

We do learn more about Ollie! He is totally one of my favorites too, and the more I learned about his past (and all his angst! So much angst for our poor demon) then the more I loved him.

3. I enjoyed how historically accurate you made this series. How difficult was the researching process? Were there times where you thought, “I am never going to find anything?”

Oh my gosh, researching took SO much time! I spent more time researching than actually writing. BUT! I think it all paid off. :) I'm pretty pleased by how 1876 Philadelphia, Paris, Marseille, and Cairo came to life (not to mention 1873 New Orleans in A DAWN MOST WICKED). Though there were definitely times where I never could find an answer (like a setting description or a map of a city) so I would have to drop a setting entire in favor of something I could research. :)

4. How hard will it be to leave the story of Eleanor behind?

SO HARD! I cried a million tears when I finished the third book, and to console myself, I immediately started writing a spin-off series set a few years in the future. Maybe one day I'll write that spin-off series entirely and share it with fans of the Spirit-Hunters. ;)

5. You have a new book coming out in 2015 called TRUTHWITCH (Tor Books). Can you tell us a little about that book?

Sure! On a continent where magic is failing as people are corrupted by their own powers, only a mythical pair of witches can heal the taint in the land and bring balance. But the two young friends are yet to discover their fate, even as their world heads towards chaos.

Basically, TRUTHWITCH was born out of something I wanted to explore more of in SS&D but didn't have the time for: friendship. The loyalty between Daniel, Joseph, and Jie, the friendship between Jie and Eleanor (and between Eleanor and Oliver) really propels the plot in that series. But I didn't have enough page space to delve into all those key relationships.

In TRUTHWITCH, the heroines are best friends ("Threadsisters" is the word in their world), and the strength of their relationship is a huge driving factor in everything that they do. So even though there's lots of romance (I can't resist steamy romance!), the friendship between Noelle and Safiya (as well as friendships between secondary characters) is more important than anything else.

Susan, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with me. I really appreciate it. I loved Strange and Ever After and look forward to talking about the book with everyone when it officially comes out.  I am so excited about receiving my pre-ordered hardback in the mail.  I also can't wait for TRUTHWITCH to be released!!!

To everyone reading this post, please pick up Strange and Ever After. It is such a great read and a fine conclusion of an excellent YA trilogy!

The Gift of Charms (The Land Of Dragor #1) Review

The Gift of Charms (The Land Of Dragor #1)

By: Julia Suzuki

Author website: http://www.juliasuzuki.com/

Book Website: www.landofdragor.com/

Release Date in the UK: September 4, 2014

5 out of 5 Stars

Note: Please note that I received the ARC of The Gift of Charms from the author. I told her I would read the book and provide an honest review.

Although I am typically into reading Young Adult (YA) books, it’s always good to read other stories from different genres. The Gift of Charms is one of those books that you will want to get your hands on. Even though the book is said to be for 8-12 years old, the story can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Without giving any spoilers, The Gift of Charms is about a misfit dragon named Yoshiko. Yoshiko lives in a dragon community that is blocked and separated from the human world. While attending school, the young dragon learns the necessary techniques it takes to be a dragon in his community, such as breathing fire and flying. Yoshiko has a hard time learning these techniques and is often bullied for it. Although true, Yoshiko does not let bullying and the inability to partake in these techniques hinder him. He keeps practicing and practicing until he reaches perfection. Also, in this story, Yoshiko is a very special dragon. Without giving anything away, Yoshiko learns that he will play an important role in protecting his community.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. The author does a great job describing her characters and providing real emotional moments. She provides a fictional world that is developed through evolution, creation stories, and myths. By adding these ideas, the story is enriched with culture and a reason why dragons exist outside the human world. Furthermore, the people who read this story will fall in love with Yoshiko because he is willing to learn and strives for success. Also, the story is very unique. Typically, dragons are always bad guys or secondary characters in books Through this story, the reader gets to see how dragons live and how they have evolved throughout time in their secret community.

This book is a perfect story for children. It hits on several of the issues that children deal with every day, such as bullying and learning in school. First of all, Yoshiko has to deal with bullying throughout the book. He is made fun of for not being able to breathe fire or fly, but Yoshiko does not let that hinder him. Yoshiko learns from his mistakes and strives to get better at these techniques. He keeps practicing until he gets each technique right. From reading this story, children will learn that practice makes perfect and that bullying is an issue that should not be tolerated. Furthermore, I hope that each reader sees that being different is ok. Although you may be unique, you are still special and important to the world. 

In my final words, this book is one that you will want to pick up. I found myself wanting more and could not put the book down while reading. In all honesty, the book kind of reminded me of Harry Potter in some instances, especially the loathing relationship between the characters Yoshiko and Igorr. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read because there is something in the story for everyone. So go out there and buy this book. I promise you will enjoy Yoshiko’s dragon adventure. 

Backward Compatible - Review

Backward Compatible

By: Sarah Daltry and Pete Clark

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Note: I received Backward Compatible from NetGalley. I have been asked to provide an honest review of the book.

I first saw Backward Compatible on the Goodreads website. I saw the cover and instantly fell in love. Who wouldn’t fall in love with a gaming story? I am not a gamer but I do appreciate a good novel about gaming. Let’s just say I was very excited when I was picked to read it from NetGalley.

Backward Compatible is a story about two gamers named Katie and George. The story begins with both gamers going to a midnight release of a game called Fatal Destiny X. The two characters wait in line for the store to open and are determined to beat out the crowds for the game. George and Katie happen to fight over the same game and start to develop a friendship over it during their winter breaks from college. As their friendship develops, so does a love interest. George and Katie both question their relationship throughout the book. They wonder if their friendship will cultivate into love and tend to question each other’s intentions.

The story might seem like a love story where two characters fall in love, but trust me there is way more to this story that meets the eye. The story is witty, sarcastic, funny, and mind blowing. The relationship between the main characters and their friends is inspirational. Although most of the players are “surprisingly” gamers, the story seems real. A group of people come together to not only play games, but a true friendship arises amongst the characters. Each character is unique but they all bring something to the table: comedy, arrogance, trust, love, and annoyance. I found myself laughing at several places throughout the books due to the awkward moments the characters put themselves in. These moments made the story more real. The dialogue only enhanced the story by making the reader feel like they were there with the characters. Although some of the text is sexualized, the authors tended to make the idea of “sex” funny. The best part of the story was that the authors did not need to add a sex scene to the narrative to enhance it.

Overall, the story was great. The best part of the story was the many “geekdom” references written into the novel. Some of the references that are mentioned include: Kirby, Game of Thrones, Mario, and Firefly. By adding these references, I became more interested and drawn to the characters' personalities.

The only part I did not enjoy was the ending. I guess the reason behind that is because I did not want the story to end.  I am crossing my fingers and hoping for a sequel. I would love to see more of Katie, George, and their friends.  Hopefully, the authors decide to write another story together.

In the end, I really enjoyed Backward Compatible. If you are a gamer, play WOW, or even watch The Guild, you will enjoy this story. So please pick up the story. It will be well worth it. You will find it…well…what’s the word? Awe yeah, “adorkable.”

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, the Graphic Novel, Review

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, The Graphic Novel

Author: Ransom Riggs

Illustrator: Cassandra Jean

5 out of 5 Stars

           

            Note: I received Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, the Graphic Novel, from Quirk Books. As a blogger, I was asked to provide an honest review of the graphic novel.

I did not hear about Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs until the end of 2013. I saw people talk about the book on Twitter and a couple of my friends told me that it was a must read. I knew that I needed to add it to my TBR list. When the graphic novel of the story arrived at my house from Quirk Books, I was in instant awe.  The cover was eerie and I was intrigued to read it. Due to this excitement, I set aside the book I was currently reading and began the graphic novel.

            First, let me say that I loved the graphic novel adaptation of the book. The story is about a young man named Jacob Portman. When Jacob was younger his grandfather used to tell him stories about unique or what Ransom Rigg’s calls “peculiar” children. Jacob became fascinated with the stories and the photos of unique children that his grandfather had shown him. But as Jacob grew older, he began to believe that his grandfather had made up these stories and that the pictures were fabricated. It would not be until the death of his grandfather that Jacob would realize that his grandfather was telling the truth. To realize these actualities, Jacob must set out on a journey to discover his grandfather’s past and secrets. On this adventure, Jacob will make new friends, discover a new world of strangeness and evil, and find his true self.

            Even though I enjoyed the storyline, I also loved the graphic novel aspect of the story. The artist Cassandra Jean, who is also known for her work on the Beautiful Creatures’ graphic novel, does a great job portraying the eeriness of the world that Jacob discovers. The story is put to life with her talented descriptions and visuals. It is her work that makes the story move forward. The characters seem real and seem to portray human emotion. She is even able to portray an invisible man’s emotions and thoughts without even drawing a body. The invisible man turned out to be one of my favorite character’s throughout the novel!

            Also, I liked how she portrayed the two worlds: the real world and the “peculiar loop.” By doing this, the reader will get an understanding to what realm the characters are in at each moment of the story. By adding color to the peculiar world and keeping the real world black and white, the story became more fascinating. In my opinion, the colorful peculiar world allowed the main character to realize the truth to the grandfather’s past and showed a magical/strange world that was outside Jacob’s ordinary realm. I would compare the story to The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy live in an ordinary world, one that is black and white, but discovers a colorful world as she enters Oz. The same can be said about Jacob who discovers a world of wonder in Miss Peregrine’s home.

           With both Rigg’s writing and Jean’s graphic skills, I would consider Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, the Graphic Novel, a brilliant piece of writing and art. I would recommend it to anyone who would be interested in the eerie and strange. Now, I want to pick up a copy of the novel Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and the second book, Hollow City, which just came out last week (Jan. 14, 2014). I promise you, you will want to read about this fantastic world that Ransom Riggs dreamed up for his readers. 

No One Else Can Have You - Review

No One Else Can Have You

By Kathleen Hale (@halekathleen)

5 out of 5 Stars

Have you ever heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” Yeah, I am a firm believer against it. I first saw Kathleen Hale’s book on twitter. Several people were talking about it so I had to know more. I looked her book up and instantly fell in love. Not only are there moose on the cover but one is hanging, so you already know that the book is going to be good.

When I received No One Else Can Have You in the mail, I immediately un-wrapped it from its box and began reading the text. I instantly became enthralled with the story line. There was a lot of “are you kidding me?” and “what just happened?” I could not put the book down because the plot was brilliantly written. The focus of the book was for Kippy, the protagonist of the story, to discover who killed her best friend. It was not focused on a love story like many other young adult stories. Kippy, who is from a small town called Friendship, Wisconsin, tries to fight small county politics and “psychopathic” episodes, discover the truth behind friendships, and investigate a murder that she knows has not been examined and inspected correctly.

There are several different reasons why I enjoyed the book. From its witty persona, laughable dialogue, and backstabbing nature, Hale provides her viewers with a remarkable young adult book. I honestly laughed out loud in several places and found myself wanting more. I say this because each chapter was developed to enhance the novel and provide a conclusion that readers will never forget. 

Furthermore, I would like to say that Kippy is like the Veronica Mars or the Harriet the Spy of this generation. She is trying to solve the murder of her best friend and gets caught in a game of cat and mouse that eventually leads her to discovering who murdered her best friend.

Also, I loved how this book made me think. It allows you to know that the idea of trust between friends may never fully develop.  Some thoughts:

• Always watch your back and be one step ahead of the rest of your friends.
• The people closest to you may not be who they say theyare. So don’t trust anyone.
• Small communities = unfair politics, gossip, lies, and betrayal.

In the end, the book was remarkable. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read YA novels, mysteries, and “who-done-its.” Also, if there are any Veronica Mars fans reading this, you should definitely pick this book up. There are so many similarities: the main characters’ best friend dies, they both deal with idiot sheriffs, and they investigate and discover who killed their best friends. With these thoughts in mind, go out and buy this book. I promise you will not regret it!

Memorable Line: “Around here moose are about as rare as murder.”

Top 5 Books I Want to Read in 2014

There are so many books coming out this year. It is going to be hard to pick my Top 5 but I believe I have narrowed it down:

Strange and Ever After  - By: Susan Dennard (@stdennard)

Release Date: July 22, 2014

This book is the final installment of the Something Strange and Deadly series. The book looks fantastic. I look forward to seeing what Eleanor and Daniel will be up to in the final conclusion of the story. Furthermore, although he is a minor character, I can't wait to see what happens to Ollie. Ollie became my favorite character in the second book! So much adventure and mischief awaits in the final conclusion of the trilogy!


The Infinite Sea - By Rick Yancey (@rickyancey)

Release Date: September 16, 2014

The Infinite Sea is my second choice of 2014. If you have not read the first book (The 5th Wave), you must be living under a rock. The first book was full of adventure, mystery, and thrills. Due to these aspects, I couldn't put the book down. I believe the second book will be better than the first. Plus, Cassie, the main character, is a pretty unique and determined character.


No One Else Can Have You - By Kathleen Hale (@HaleKathleen)

Release Date: January 7, 2014

First of all, the book cover drew me in. I know, people say, "Don't judge a book by its cover." But seriously, how can you pass up the cover. It has a moose on it. I have heard very positive things about the book and the reviews make the book seem  better and better each time.  I have pre-ordered the book and it will be the first book out of these five that I will read because it comes out today!



Defy by Sara Larson (@SaraBLarson)

Release Date: January 7, 2014

Defy is one of those books that has an awesome cover and instantly you know it is going to be good. I just keep staring at it and want my own copy of it. I have also heard very positive things about this book: packed with action, it's a page turner, and the story line is very intriguing. The book was released today so it will be in my hands hopefully sometime this weekend.




Vitro by Jessica Khoury (@jkbibliophile)

Release Date: January 14, 2013

Jessica Khoury is a great writer. I picked up her first book, Origins, at Nashville's Bookfest about two years ago. Of course, I bought the book because of the cover, but as I started reading the book, I became intrigued. I met Jessica at SOKYfest, a bookfest in Bowling Green, KY. She is very nice and easy to talk to.  I have been excited about Vitro's release, but her #OperationVitro contest has made me more pumped about the book release.