a virtual book event
May 28-31, 2014
Thank you dear readers for joining me for this virtual book event - short but sweet.
Special thanks to:
RobtheDoodler for image of zombie cupcakes
* badge image source: Zombie Cupcakes by Zilly Rosen
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Zombies & Cupcakes & More Zombies: end credits
a virtual book event
May 28-31, 2014
Thank you dear readers for joining me for this virtual book event - short but sweet.
Special thanks to:
RobtheDoodler for image of zombie cupcakes
* badge image source: Zombie Cupcakes by Zilly Rosen
Zombie, Indiana: A Novel by Scott Kenemore
by Scott Kenemore
Visit Scott:
Amazon
Website
Goodreads
Just released: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Talos
Genre: Zombies
Paperback: 376 pages
Rating: 4
Series:
Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead
Zombie, Illinois: A Novel
Zombie, Indiana
In the third book of his Zombie series, Scott Kenemore brings the explosive horror thriller of an undead outbreak in the city of Indianapolis. Zombie, Indiana takes place during the same timeline as the outbreaks in his books Zombie, Ohio and Zombie, Illinois, and has the same punch as the previous two.
Zombie, Indiana explores the impact of an invading zombie horde on a trio of Hoosier protagonists . . . each of whom have some dark secrets to keep. When the governor’s daughter mysteriously disappears on a field trip, IMPD Special Sergeant James Nolan, scholarship student Kesha Washington, and Governor Hank Burleson must all come together not only to find the governor’s daughter, but also to undertake a quest to redeem the very soul of the state itself . . . all while under constant attack from the living dead.
With humorous, memorable characters, tense action sequences, and brutal zombie violence, Zombie, Indiana will put readers in mind of some of the most compelling works of popular fiction. At once a mystery, a thriller, and a horror novel, Kenemore strikes again with this rollicking tour through America’s heartland that is nothing but a tour de force for zombie fiction fans!
My two-bits:
Politics, teens and zombies.
This story takes place at the start of a zombie outbreak in Indiana. The story follows characters who are trying to figure out what has become of the world while trying to reunite with loved ones and keeping safe from the threat of zombies.
Got a sense of Hoosiers and some landmarks of Indiana along the way.
I started this series with the third book and now curious to read books one and two to see how both Ohio and Illinois zombie infestations are handled.
* review copy courtesy of Edelweiss
* just got BINGO for my Bookish Bingo challenge here
Friday, May 30, 2014
The Walking Dead season 2 (2010)
Creator: Frank Darabont
Based on comic book by: Robert Kirkman
Starring:
Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon
Steven Yeun as Glenn Rhee
Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes
Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier
Genre: Zombies
Rating: 5
Description from imdb:
Police officer Rick Grimes leads a group of survivors in a world overrun by zombies.
Zombie speed: medium
Zombification: virus
Zombie mode: low functioning
My thoughts:
Currently binge watching season two episodes and continue to like this series.
What I find interesting to watch are how the moral issues and dilemmas are handled in this world where survival is priority in life.
World War Z (2013)
Director(s): Marc Forster
Screenplay: Matthew Michael Carnahan
Drew Goddard
Damon Lindelof
Screenstory: Matthew Michael Carnahan
J. Michael Straczynski
Based on book by: Max Brooks
Starring:
Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane
Daniella Kertesz as Segen
Genre: Zombies
Rating: 5
Description from imdb:
United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself.
Zombie speed: fast
Zombification: unknown virus
Zombie mode: low functioning but fast and can climb over each other
My thoughts:
I found this to be a "smart" zombie flick versus a campy one.
Unlike the book version, the story starts off during a zombie apocalypse. It follows a main character, Gerry, as he visits different parts of the world to get a handle on the zombie problem.
Although there is some zombie fighting/eating action, the story moves along well in finding possible solutions.
An Oral History of the Zombie War
by Max Brooks
Visit Max:
Amazon
BookExcerpt
Website
Goodreads
Published: 2007 reprint
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Genre: zombies
Paperback: 342 pages
Rating: 5
“The end was near.” —Voices from the Zombie War
The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.
Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.
Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren’t we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn’t the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as ‘the living dead’?”
Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.
Eyewitness reports from the first truly global war:
“I found ‘Patient Zero’ behind the locked door of an abandoned apartment across town. . . . His wrists and feet were bound with plastic packing twine. Although he’d rubbed off the skin around his bonds, there was no blood. There was also no blood on his other wounds. . . . He was writhing like an animal; a gag muffled his growls. At first the villagers tried to hold me back. They warned me not to touch him, that he was ‘cursed.’ I shrugged them off and reached for my mask and gloves. The boy’s skin was . . . cold and gray . . . I could find neither his heartbeat nor his pulse.” —Dr. Kwang Jingshu, Greater Chongqing, United Federation of China
“‘Shock and Awe’? Perfect name. . . . But what if the enemy can’t be shocked and awed? Not just won’t, but biologically can’t! That’s what happened that day outside New York City, that’s the failure that almost lost us the whole damn war. The fact that we couldn’t shock and awe Zack boomeranged right back in our faces and actually allowed Zack to shock and awe us! They’re not afraid! No matter what we do, no matter how many we kill, they will never, ever be afraid!” —Todd Wainio, former U.S. Army infantryman and veteran of the Battle of Yonkers
“Two hundred million zombies. Who can even visualize that type of number, let alone combat it? . . . For the first time in history, we faced an enemy that was actively waging total war. They had no limits of endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end because, unlike us, every single one of them, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth.” —General Travis D’Ambrosia, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
My two-bits:
I listened to the audio version which was such a treat! An audiobook works well for this story as it is written in an Q&A style. Hearing the different voices enhances the overall effect and serious tone of the story.
Like the film, this is a "smart" zombie story with different perspective of a post zombie apocalypse.
The main character is the narrator/interviewer who meets with different people around the world for their input on zombie experiences.
* part of Bookish Bingo challenge
Thursday, May 29, 2014
mmmm: Cupcake covers
by RobtheDoodler
Here are a couple books with cupcakes on the cover that currently catch my eye...
(Cupcake Bakery Mystery #6)
by Jenn McKinlay
-cozy mystery
-zombies not included
Amazon | Goodreads
Sugar and spice and murderous vice.
That’s what pageants are made of…
Normally Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura wouldn’t be caught dead at a beauty pageant, but when Mel’s mom asks them to provide cupcakes for the seventy-fifth annual Sweet Tiara contest as a favor for her best friend, they can’t say no. Plus, between cooking up a daily display for the three-day event and sponsoring a cupcake creation challenge for the participants, Fairy Tale Cupcakes will get great publicity.
But the world of pageants is even hotter than Mel’s kitchen. A high-strung judge and a pushy stage mom target Lupe, a young friend of Mel and Angie’s, at the competition and aim to take her out—by any means necessary. When the same judge shows up dead underneath Mel and Angie’s cupcake display, Lupe is crowned the lead suspect. Now Mel and Angie will have to find the real killer quickly or Lupe may be strutting the catwalk in prison pinstripes…
(Dowser Series)
Meghan Ciana Doidge
-urban fantasy
-this one includes a zombie
Amazon | Goodreads
If you'd asked me a week ago, I would have told you that the best cupcakes were dark chocolate with chocolate cream cheese icing, that dancing in a crowd of magic wielders -- the Adept -- was better than sex, and that my life was peaceful and uneventful. Just the way I liked it. That's what twenty-three years in the magical backwater of Vancouver will get you -- a completely skewed sense of reality. Because when the dead werewolves started showing up, it all unraveled ... except for the cupcake part. That's a universal truth.
Paul Is Undead by Alan Goldsher
by Alan Goldsher
Visit Alan:
Amazon
BookExcerpt
Website
Goodreads
Twitter @AlanGoldsher
Published: 2010
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Humor, Music, Zombies
Paperback: 320 pages
Rating: 4
The British Zombie Invasion series:
Paul Is Undead
Give Death a Chance
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S TIME TO REALLY MEET THE BEATLES.
For John Lennon, a young, idealistic zombie guitarist with dreams of global domination, Liverpool seems the ideal place to form a band that could take over the world. In an inspired act, Lennon kills and reanimates local rocker Paul McCartney, kicking off an unstoppable partnership. With the addition of newly zombified guitarist George Harrison and drummer/Seventh Level Ninja Lord Ringo Starr, the Beatles soon cut a swath of bloody good music and bloody violent mayhem across Europe, America, and the entire planet.
In this searing oral history, discover how the Fab Four climbed to the Toppermost of the Poppermost while stealing the hearts, ears, and brains of smitten teenage girls. Learn the tale behind a spiritual journey that resulted in the dismemberment of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Marvel at the seemingly indestructible quartet’s survival of a fierce attack by Eighth Level Ninja Lord Yoko Ono. And find out how the boys escaped eternal death at the hands of England’s greatest zombie hunter, Mick Jagger.
Through all this, one mystery remains: Can the Beatles sublimate their hunger for gray matter, remain on top of the charts, and stay together for all eternity? After all, three of the Fab Four are zombies, and zombies live forever. . . .
My two-bits:
Lots of silly fun.
Hilarious mashup of the origin story of the Beatles and zombies (and ninja) which was somewhat historical with a fun twist.
Got me listening to the Beatles first album, Please Please Me - oldies but goodies ;-)
mmmm: Cupcake Zombies by Ziazan
by Ziazan
Amazon | Goodreads
A strange illness is spreading through Bullerton, and the only people unaffected by it are the only ones not to have eaten any of Dulcie's cupcakes. Can three young women, a cat, a food blog and a shopful of fairy cakes save the day?
After learning that cupcakes and zombies were the most popular subjects of books sold in 2012, Ziazan decided to leap shamelessly on both bandwagons at once, and this is the result: a blend of horror, humour, romance and life-saving recipes in one short, bitesized novella.
* on my want list, are you curious about this one too?
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Zombies Giveaway HOP
May 28 to June 1, 2014
hosted by vvb32 reads
GET into the zombie mode with this sweet treat...
25 delicious weird cupcake recipes
by Lily Vanilli
Amazon | Goodreads
Cupcakes have been iced up in pink and glitter for far too long...and now they are getting their revenge! Lily Vanilli shows how you can take inspiration from the macabre and grotesque to create some really evil-looking cakes that taste divine. Using natural ingredients and edible decorating materials, such as edible lustre dusts, gum paste and glazes, Lily shows you how to turn basic cupcakes into amazingly realistic and delicious sculptures, from Eerie Eyeballs to Ghastly Ghouls. For really gory desserts, why not make Dracula's Bite red velvet cupcakes, or some Bleeding Hearts, which are moulded with deep red fondant into human hearts and covered with a cherry blood sauce? You can also go for heavenly Fallen Angel Cakes, made with a divine honey-flavoured icing, or indulgent, truly dark chocolate Devil's Food Cupcakes, with ganache icing and chocolate devil's horns. With 25 brilliant recipes and tips and tricks throughout, this is the perfect introduction into the world of alternative cake decoration.
Since she started out selling her cakes at a market in East London, Lily Jones (aka Vanilli) has gone on to become one of Britain's best-loved artisan bakers. With a star-studded client list and a thriving bakery on Columbia Road, Lily's bakes are famous for their unique flavour combinations, spectacular design and exquisite taste. www.lilyvanilli.com
Open to US only.
Winner can pick kindle or print version
In comments, answer me this: What is your favorite cupcake flavor?
AND leave your email.
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Contest has ended - winner is here
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Now hop-a-long for more zombie goodies...
* not too late, you can participate and add a link to the hop - signup details here
* hop image found here, Cupcake Zombie created by Coco Fortunato (Copyright Fortunato Ink)
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Zombies & Cupcakes & More Zombies: schedule
a virtual book event
May 28-31, 2014
May is Zombie Awareness Month as dubbed by the (Zombie Research Society).
CELEBRATE with me for the next few days with zombie themed posts and giveaways.
Check out this zombie-themed cupcake recipe from A Zombie Ate My Cupcake by Lily Vanilli which is the book featured in my zombie hop giveaway offer ...
Schedule of events:
details and links will be filled in after posted
per usual links are also on the sidebar
Teaser link
Zombies Giveaway HOP
-signup details here - not too late, it will be open until June 1
End Credits
Complete list of books featured and mentioned:
there will be more... final list will be updated at the end of the event
25 delicious weird cupcake recipes
by Lily Vanilli
Amazon | Goodreads
signup for giveaway
(Dowser Series)
by Meghan Ciana Doidge
-this one includes a zombie
Amazon | Goodreads | feature post
(Cupcake Bakery Mystery #6)
by Jenn McKinlay
-zombies not included
Amazon | Goodreads | feature post
by Ziazan
Amazon | Goodreads | feature post
by Alan Goldsher
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
An Oral History of the Zombie War
by Max Brooks
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
season 2
Amazon | Goodreads | feature post
by Scott Kenemore
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
* badge image source: Zombie Cupcakes by Zilly Rosen
* What is a virtual book event? a celebration of books and authors that are in keeping with a theme which may include guest posts and giveaways. Audience participation is encouraged and most welcome.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Glamour by Andrea Janes (with giveaway)
by Andrea Janes
Visit Andrea:
Amazon
Please note: Andrea is having a special $0.99 sale which will start 8:00 AM PST on May 25 and the price will increase $1 every 38 hours until May 31 when it returns to its normal Amazon price of $4.99.
Barnesandnoble.com
Kobo.com
OmniLit
BookExcerpt
Website
Goodreads
Twitter @SpinsterAunt
Find out about ghost tours led by Andrea
Just released: February 2014
Publisher: World Weaver Press
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal, Witches
Paperback: 226 pages
Rating: 4.5
Stealing the life she's always wanted is as easy as casting a spell.
Townie.
That's what eighteen-year-old Christina Sundy is. All year round she lives in a one-stoplight town on Cape Cod, and when summer comes, she spends her days scooping ice cream for the rich tourists she hates. So when one of them takes a job in the ice cream shop alongside her, she's pissed. Why does a blonde and perky Harvard-bound rich girl like Reese Manning want to scoop ice cream anyway?
Something else weird is happening to Christina: tiny blue sparks seem to be shooting off her fingers. It isn't long before she realizes the truth about herself—she's actually a powerful hereditary witch. But her newfound powers are too intense for her to handle and, in a moment of rage, she accidentally zaps Reese into another dimension.
So that no one will notice that the rich girl has disappeared, Christina casts a disguising spell, or "glamour," and lives Reese's life while she tries to find a retrieval spell. But as the retrieval spell proves harder than anticipated, and as she goes about living Reese's life without anyone on the outside noticing the switch, Christina realizes that there's nothing to stop her from making the glamour permanent... except, of course, her fellow witches, a 16th century demon, and, just maybe, her own conscience.
My two-bits:
Modern story of witches in a small town on the east coast. In this instance, it is a of coming of age story for a witch who finds out about her abilities and learns to juggle it with coming to terms with herself and her life.
There are some cute moments, instances of female friendship bonding and an encounter with a demon that makes this a fun read about the witch world.
NOTE: extra treat at the end of the book - a reading group supplement that includes an interesting Q&A with the author.
WIN my review copy of this book!
Open to US only.
Offer ends: June 30, 2014
TO DO: (2-parts)
1. ADD this book to your Want To Read list on Goodreads.
OR
Tweet about this giveaway.
OR
Recommend this on Google using the mini-button at end of this post (g+1).
OR
Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest or Tumblr the Book Cover image.
2. TELL me what you did in comments.
AND, leave your email.
***optional: leave a comment or question for the author.
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Contest has ended - winner is here
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* review copy courtesy of World Weaver Press.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Stacking the Shelves - 5.24.14
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
For Review:
by Jessica Hickam
-dystopia, mystery, YA
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014
Thanks Janay!
Amazon | Goodreads
by Abdi Nazemian
-women's fiction
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014
Thanks Janay!
Amazon | Goodreads
signup for Goodreads giveaway of this book here
-expires June 6, 2014
The Commandant Camille Verhoeven Trilogy
by Pierre Lemaitre, Frank Wynne
-france, mystery, thriller
courtesy of edelweiss
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
-chick-lit
courtesy of Simon & Schuster book tour
Thanks Bobbilyn!
Amazon | Goodreads
(Ivy Granger #2.5)
by E.J. Stevens
-paranormal
courtesy of author
Thanks E.J.!
Amazon | Goodreads
by Don J. Donaldson
-forensic mystery
courtesy of publisher
Thanks Jillian!
Amazon | Goodreads
Library:
by Claire Messud
-art, mystery, women's fiction
Amazon | Goodreads
Listening to the audio version. So far, so good.
* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently
* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers
Friday, May 23, 2014
The A-Word: A Sweet Dead Life Novel by Joy Preble
A Sweet Dead Life Novel
by Joy Preble
Visit Joy:
Amazon
Website
Goodreads
Tumblr
Twitter @joypreble
Just released: May 13, 2014
Publisher: Soho Teen
Genre: Paranormal, YA
Hardback: 272 pages
Rating: 4
Sweet Dead Life series:
The Sweet Dead Life
The A-Word
Jenna Samuels and her guardian angel brother battle heavenly head-honchos and earthbound bullies in this Texas-set hilarious follow up to The Sweet Dead Life.
It's been almost a year since Jenna Samuel’s stoner brother, Casey, bit the dust and returned as her guardian angel. A year since Casey and his “angel boss,” Amber Velasco, saved Jenna’s life and helped her foil the bad guys—more or less. A year in which Jenna has solved the true mystery of the universe: how to get one Ryan Sloboda to ask her out.
Jenna’s feeling mighty cheery about life and love. But Casey, whose doomed relationship with Lanie Phelps (who has no idea her boyfriend is, well, dead) isn’t doing much to distract him, has his own big question: Why is he still hanging around?
Bo Shivers, a heavenly head honcho Jenna and Casey didn't even know existed, might have the answer. Bo knows something big is coming. Something that might just change everything for Jenna Samuels, who once again finds herself up to her non-winged shoulders in heavenly secrets of global proportions—just as she’s finally found the perfect Homecoming Dance dress.
My two-bits:
Being that I did not previously read book one of this series, it was a bit unclear as to why the main character, Jenna, who was not an angel, was able to interact with and was aware of the angels in her presence.
In any case, this story is a sweet one indeed that involves a trio of angels who revolve around Jenna. Together they uncover a mystery and discover some history about each other which creates some friendship bonding moments.
There is also some angel action and budding romances and heartbreaks sprinkled in.
Also, got introduced to some Texas culture. Sooo curious about and want to taste a kolache.
Joy Preble is the author of the popular and highly acclaimed Dreaming Anastasia series as well as The Sweet Dead Life, the prequel to The A-Word.
A former English teacher, Joy grew up in Chicago and is a graduate of Northwestern University.
She is now a full-time writer and lives with her family in Texas, where she has learned to say "y'all" without any hint of irony.
WIN my review copy of this book!
Open to all.
Offer ends: May 31, 2014
TO DO: (2-parts)
1. ADD this book to your Want To Read list on Goodreads.
OR
Tweet about this giveaway.
OR
Recommend this on Google using the mini-button at end of this post (g+1).
OR
Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest or Tumblr the Book Cover image.
2. TELL me what you did in comments.
AND, leave your email.
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Contest has ended - winner is here
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* review copy and giveaway courtesy of book tour - check out the other stops here for more details on this book and goodies sponsored by SOHO Teen.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
PeekAbook: The Medici Boy by John L’Heureux
Donatello: Art, Pain, Passion, Murder
by John L’Heureux
just released: April 2014
Amazon | Goodreads | Website
The worlds of art, politics and passion collide in John L’Heureux’s masterful new novel, The Medici Boy. With rich composition, L’Heureux ingeniously transports the reader to Donatello’s Renaissance Italy—directly into his bottega, (workshop), as witnessed through the eyes of Luca Mattei, a devoted assistant.
While creating his famous bronze of David and Goliath, Donatello’s passion for his enormously beautiful model and part time rent boy, Agnolo, ignites a dangerous jealousy that ultimately leads to Agnolo’s brutal murder. Luca, the complex and conflicted assistant, will sacrifice all to save the life of Donatello, even if it means the life of the master sculptor’s friend and great patron of art, Cosimo de’ Medici.
John L’Heureux’s long-awaited novel delivers both a monumental and intimate narrative of the creative genius, Donatello, at the height of his powers. With incisive detail, L’Heureux beautifully renders the master sculptor’s forbidden homosexual passions, and the artistry that enthralled the powerful and highly competitive Medici and Albizzi families. The finished work is a sumptuously detailed historical novel that entertains while it delves deeply into both the sacred and the profane within one of the Italian Renaissance’s most consequential cities, fifteenth century Florence.
Award-winning poet, novelist, and short story writer, John L’Heureux has taught at Georgetown University, Tufts, Harvard, and (for more than 35 years) in the English Department of Stanford University where he was Lane Professor of Humanities. There he received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and earned it again in 1998.
A prolific writer, L’Heureux has written more than twenty books of fiction, short fiction and poetry. His works have appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, Harper’s, The New Yorker, and have been included in dozens of anthologies including Best American Stories and Prize Stories: the O. Henry Awards.
John L’Heureux has twice received writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and in 2006 he was awarded a Guggenheim Grant to do research for The Medici Boy, his new novel.
He is retired and lives in Palo Alto with his wife Joan.
PeekAbook: Cinematic book trailer
* looks like a good one, adding it to my want list
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern
by Megan Jean Sovern
Visit Megan:
Amazon
BookExcerpt
Website
Goodreads
Book Playlist
Discussion Guide
Just released: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: Middle Grade, Illness
Hardback: 220 pages
Rating: 4.5
As befits a future President of the United States of America, Maggie Mayfield has decided to write a memoir of the past year of her life. And what a banner year it’s been! During this period she’s Student of the Month on a regular basis, an official shareholder of Coca-Cola stock, and defending Science Fair champion.
Most importantly, though, this is the year Maggie has to pull up her bootstraps (the family motto) and finally learn why her cool-dude dad is in a wheelchair, no matter how scary that is.
Author Megan Jean Sovern, herself the daughter of a dad with multiple sclerosis, writes with the funny grace and assured prose of a new literary star.
A portion of the proceeds of the sale of this book will be donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Zombie sighting:
Dad answered before Clyde could. "You're a zombie Buddy Holly, right?"
-chapter 6, page 60
My two-bits:
Told from the perspective of a tween, this is a very touching story of a family and their experience with Multiple Sclerosis.
The main character, Maggie, keeps the story light and fun. She is an exceptionally smart girl with a spunky attitude.
Warning: a box of tissues may come in handy for sad moments
Praise for book:
“The Meaning of Maggie does for middle-grade fiction what John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars did for teen literature: Both portray coping with serious illness as one aspect of a complex character, not as the single issue that defines them.”–BookPage
“Smart, sensitive, sad and funny.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Readers will appreciate Maggie’s humor and rejoice in her growth. This is a remarkable story of a working-class family pulling together in the face of a serious illness.”–School Library Journal, starred review
“Maggie is a firecracker character, one who sparkles with wit, cynicism, love, and potential. Her voice will charm and captivate readers.”–Shelf Awarness for Readers, starred review
* part of Bookish Bingo challenge
* review copy and giveaway courtesy of book tour sponsored by Chronicle Books.
Monday, May 19, 2014
The Only Boy by Jordan Locke (with giveaway)
by Jordan Locke
Visit Jordan:
Amazon
BookExcerpt
Website
Goodreads
Twitter @Jordan1Locke
Published: 2013
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre: Dystopia, YA
Paperback: 268 pages
Rating: 5
Mary is stuck in Section One, living with three hundred women in a crumbling hospital. She wonders what life was like two centuries ago, before the Cleansing wiped out all the men. But the rules—the Matriarch’s senseless rules—prevent her from exploring the vacant city to find out.
Taylor’s got a dangerous secret: he’s a boy. His compound’s been destroyed, and he’s been relocated to Section One. Living under the Matriarch means giving up possessions, eating canned food and avoiding all physical contact. Baggy clothes hide his flat chest and skinny legs, but if anyone discovers what lies beneath, he’ll be exiled. Maybe even executed.
Mary’s never seen a boy—the Matriarch cut the pictures of men from the textbooks—and she doesn’t suspect Taylor’s secret. If she knew, she might understand the need to stop the girls from teasing him. If she knew, she might realize why she breaks the rules, just to be near him. Then again, she might be frightened to death of him.
Taylor should go. The Matriarch is watching his every move. But running means leaving Mary—and braving the land beyond the compound’s boundaries.
My two-bits:
Very engaging dystopia tale told in two voices. There are back and forth perspectives from main characters, Mary and Taylor which was effective in understanding the characters and their predicaments.
Got me thinking of the power of women and matriarchal societies.
Side note: I must admit, it was refreshing to read a story that was presented and resolved in one book rather than part of a trilogy or series.
Book excerpt:
From Taylor’s Point of View
The pit is dark and musty. Dirt walls line two sides, and bars surround the rest. Every so often, footsteps tap overhead, but other than that, silence.
No one told me how long I’ll be here. I think the rulebook says three weeks for fighting, but the Matriarch might have added destroying property. I touch my chin, and stubble prickles my fingers. Before long, the beard will be impossible to hide.
I should never have come to Section One. I could have run—disappeared—after the Earthers bombed my compound. Even when the Matriarch sent a carrier pigeon, I didn’t leave. I waited for someone to come. My hair was long, and I figured I could pass for a girl.
I should have realized it was a mistake.
I have no idea how long I’m here—maybe hours, maybe days—before a shaft of light shines across the room. Footsteps approach, hinges squeak, and metal slams shut. Someone is breathing in the cell next to mine. I imagine Katherine sitting inside. It could be weeks of only her and me. I’ll go insane. I crawl away, push my back against the cold wall.
A calm clear voice says, “Taylor?”
I let myself smile. It’s Mary.
From Mary’s Point of View
I hoped a new arrival—someone who hadn’t spent every day locked inside—might bring a sense of adventure, or at least have interesting stories. But Taylor doesn’t even want to talk to me. What a letdown.
After lunch, I go back to class. When I see who’s sitting at the desk next to mine, my face grows hot. It’s bad enough I have to suffer through another of the Matriarch’s lectures, but to have Taylor beside me the whole time, that’s going to be torture. I sit at my desk and face the front wall—painted black, with lines of chalk dust ground into the cracks.
Taylor speaks in a faint mumble. “Sorry.”
When I can no longer stop myself from looking, I turn my head. Taylor’s eyes catch mine. Blue eyes. Haunting eyes. I open my mouth to speak, to accept the apology, but can’t even breathe.
The Matriarch steps inside the room and flashes one of her fake smiles. “Taylor, would you come to the front of the class?”
The girls whisper as Taylor inches forward. Hanging above is an Emergency Room sign. A piece has broken off, and some of the letters have peeled away. Now, the sign reads EMERGE.
Praise for The Only Boy:
“It’s not a dystopia that does a good job—it’s a great book that happens to be a dystopia.”
--Rachel Miller, Editor
“This book is one of the best of its genre I have read, it kept me gripped to its satisfying end.”
--Janet Love, Amazon UK Reviewer
“If you like a different take on the dystopian genre then I would highly recommend this unique and amazing book.”
--Tamara Bass, The Avid Book Collector
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/8/14
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
* after reading this book, I am reminded to continue reading Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra which is a dystopian science fiction comic book series with a similar premise in that the world is without males except for one man and his male pet monkey.
* review copy courtesy of book tour - check out the other stops here for more details on this book and goodies sponsored by I Am A Reader Not A Writer.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick (with giveaway)
by Beth Kendrick
Visit Beth:
Amazon
Website
Goodreads
Twitter @BKendrickBooks
Just released: May 6, 2014
Publisher: NAL Trade
Genre: Chick-lit, clean romance
Paperback: 336 pages
Rating: 4.5
Welcome to Black Dog Bay, a tiny seaside town in Delaware known as "the best place in America to bounce back from your breakup." Home to Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast, the Eat Your Heart Out bakery, and the Whinery bar, Black Dog Bay offers a haven for the suddenly single.
Flight attendant Summer Benson lives by two rules: Don’t stay with the same man for too long and never stay in one place. She’s about to break rule number one by considering accepting her boyfriend’s proposal—then disaster strikes and her world is shattered in an instant.
Summer heads to Black Dog Bay, where the locals welcome her. Even Hattie Huntington, the town’s oldest, richest, and meanest resident, likes her enough to give her a job. Then there’s Dutch Jansen, the rugged, stoic mayor, who’s the opposite of her type. She probably shouldn't be kissing him. She definitely shouldn't be falling in love.
After a lifetime of globe-trotting, Summer has finally found a home. But Hattie has old scores to settle and a hidden agenda for her newest employee. Summer finds herself faced with an impossible choice: Leave Black Dog Bay behind forever, or stay with the ones she loves and cost them everything...
My two-bits:
Cute romance (like the cover) - the sweet kind.
The main character, Summer, experiences a coming of age (love) moment after meeting her match.
This chick-lit houses a likable collection of women in a small town setting. I usually like these kind of stories as they are akin to eating comfort foods.
About the author:
Beth Kendrick is the author of The Week Before the Wedding, The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service, and Nearlyweds, which was turned into a Hallmark Channel original movie.
She lives in Arizona with her two rescue dogs, but she loves to vacation at the Delaware shore, where she goes to Funland, eats boardwalk fries, and wishes that the Whinery really existed.
Praise for the book:
“Beth Kendrick has reminded me once again exactly why I love her books so much. Cure for the Common Breakup is packed with humor, wit and a lot of heart. A charming and exceptionally entertaining story! I can’t recommend this book highly enough.”--Jane Porter, national bestselling author of
The Good Wife “Beth Kendrick has written a sharp, sassy, surprisingly emotional story that will make readers laugh out loud from page one and sigh from the heart at the end. Light and lovely perfection!"--Roxanne St. Claire, New York Times bestselling author of The Barefoot Bay Series
“Utterly delightful! Summer Benson will charm and disarm her way into the hearts of readers as easily as she does the residents of Black Dog Bay.”--Meg Donohue, USA Today bestselling author of All the Summer Girls
WIN my review copy of this book!
Open to US only.
Offer ends: June 30, 2014
TO DO: (2-parts)
1. ADD this book to your Want To Read list on Goodreads.
OR
Tweet about this giveaway.
OR
Recommend this on Google using the mini-button at end of this post (g+1).
OR
Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest or Tumblr the Book Cover image.
OR
Join the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014 here.
2. TELL me what you did in comments.
AND, leave your email.
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Contest has ended - winner is here
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* review copy and giveaway courtesy of Summer Reading Challenge 2014. It's not too late, join the reading challenge here. @booksparks #SRC2014!
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Stacking the Shelves - 5.17.14
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
For Review:
by Emily Giffin
-romance, women's fiction
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014
Thanks Janay!
A Novel
by Gregory Sherl
-love
courtesy of publisher
Thanks edelweiss!
Library:
by Robert Goolrick
-historical, mystery, romance
Listening to the audio version.
An Oral History of the Zombie War
by Max Brooks
Listening to the audio version. Also, plan on watching the movie version right after.
* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently
* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers
Indies First Storytime Day
May 17 is Indies First Storytime Day!
Indies First Storytime Day is part of Children’s Book Week, the annual celebration of children's books and reading sponsored by The Children's Book Council. (details here) -American Booksellers Association
Celebrate today with a sneak peek reading (video below) of...
by Holly Schindler
release date: August 26, 2014
Pre-order | Goodreads | Website
It’s too late for you. You’re dead.
Those words float through Claire Cain’s head as she lies broken and barely alive after a brutal beating. And the words continue to haunt her months later, in the relentless, terrifying nightmares that plague her sleep. So when her father is offered a teaching sabbatical in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out of Chicago, away from the things that remind her of what she went through, will offer a way to start anew.
But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire quickly realizes something is wrong—the town is brimming with hidden dangers and overrun by feral cats. And her fears are confirmed when a popular high school girl, Serena Sims, is suddenly found dead in the icy woods behind the school. While everyone is quick to say Serena died in an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it—for she was the one who found Serena, battered and most certainly dead, surrounded by the town’s feral cats.
Now Claire vows to learn the truth about what happened, but the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to discovering a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley. . . .
With an eerie setting and heart-stopping twists and turns, Holly Schindler weaves a gripping story that will make you question everything you think you know.
Now, take a LOOK INSIDE:
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