vvb32 reads: Ichabod Temperance

Showing posts with label Ichabod Temperance. Show all posts

Saturday, October 31, 2015

The Measure of Temperance by Ichabod Temperance

The Measure of Temperance
by Ichabod Temperance

Visit Ichabod:
Amazon
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter @MtrofTemperance

Published: 2014
Publisher: GoldenBear Creative Works
Genre: Steampunk, Zombies
ebook
Rating: 4

The Adventures of Ichabod Temperance series:
A Matter of Temperance
A World of inTemperance
For the Love of Temperance
The Measure of Temperance

First sentence(s):
I will not endure the oppression of this dungeon another day.

The stench of too many men, sharing too little air, in too small of a confine, is an unending assault against me, my pride, and the terrible powers which I represent.

"T'was the hand of Fate that brought Miss Plumtartt and me together for in truth, we have been happenstance-stricken and adventure prone ever since." -Ichabod Temperance from "For the Love of Temperance".

Ichabod Temperance and Persephone Plumtartt are once again caught up in a whirlwind of excitement and danger! New friends and old join our plucky heroes as they struggle to protect planet Earth from unspeakable ruin in the form of an overwhelming zombie cataclysm!

What's this? In the midst of their most trying ordeal, Icky and Persephone have a tiff? Certainly, this is a novel full of calamity!

Zombie sighting:
I will transform the brazenly disrespectful lawmen into mindless zombies!
-Prologue One, page 1

My two-bits:

This is one of those stories that tickles. I found myself chuckling throughout the reading from the word play, foreign accents and innuendos (and not).

Some travel is involved with fun mentions and description of Southern California sites of their times. There is also an attendance of an unusual Carnivalle.

A love triangle makes an appearance as well during the pursuit of a bad guy named Sku Le'Bizarre.

I would recommend reading the printed version as the presentation of the story includes a smattering of font styles in dialogue which creates a playful vibe. There are also amusing skull images at the end of each chapter - such a variety. And of course, I loved the (voodoo) zombie presence.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author

* part of the R.I.P. X challenge (here)

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Stacking the Shelves - 9.5.15

Stacking the Shelves
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!

~*~
Bought:

The Happy Reader
(magazine)
Issue 1: Fall 2014
Issue 2: Spring 2015
Issue 3: Summer 2015
Website | Goodreads
The Happy Reader is a new magazine published by Penguin Classics in collaboration with the creators of the award-winning Fantastic Man. For avid readers and the uninitiated alike, it is a chance to reengage with classic literature and to stay inspired and entertained. The concept of the magazine is excitingly simple: the first half is a long-form interview with a notable book fanatic and the second half explores one Penguin Classics title from an array of surprising and invigorating angles, through fashion, art, lifestyle, history, film and more. The Happy Reader never patronizes, nor does it seek to baffle its audience with literary name-dropping or pedantry, wearing its bookish curiosity with a playful lightness of touch, delighting in the potential for whimsy and humour. The magazine is centred on the concept of 'precious print', as embodied by Penguin Classics and Fantastic Man. It explores the myriad advantages of the printed word and image: beautiful typography, high dwell time, the matte charm of ink on paper, the calming luxury of being 'offline'. The magazine is a design object in and of itself.

=====> Discovered this on Savidge Reads (here). I thought I would give this periodical a try as I like the sounds of the layout. Plus, the covers with Dan Stevens and Aziz Ansari were eye-catching. AND, how could book lovers resist the title ;-)

Crudrat
by Gail Carriger
-audio version
Website | Goodreads
=====> Interesting to note that this project started on Kickstarter and is now available!

A Carriger Quartet
Four Short Stories
by Gail Carriger
-fairy tale, warrior's song, love story, mystery
Website
=====> Special treat: CD that came with Crudrat ;-)

For Review:

The Measure of Temperance
by Ichabod Temperance
(updated edition)
-steampunk, zombies
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
FREEBIE:

More Than Exes
by Elizabeth Briggs
-novella from Chasing The Dream series
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
GET your free copy (here)
OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related

SEE who I picked for my AUGUST Literary Hunk of the Month (here)

UNBOXING:

From Powell's Indiespensable club package (details & signup):
Powell's subscription club delivers the best new books, with special attention to independent publishers. Signed first editions. Inventive, original sets. Exclusive printings.... Every six weeks, another installment to read and admire. Plus, every package is stocked with exciting surprises!

This is box #54. (sorry - this is sold out, but you can signup for the next one)

Box includes:

* A collectible booklet featuring the Powells.com interview and Indiespensable Q&A with Eli Gottlieb
* Best Boy by Eli Gottlieb, signed hardcover
* The Boy Who Went Away by Eli Gottlieb, signed paperback
* Powell's "Adventure Awaits" magnet

Best Boy
by Eli Gottlieb
-Autism, Contemporary Fiction
Amazon | Goodreads
Sent to a “therapeutic community” for autism at the age of eleven, Todd Aaron, now in his fifties, is the “Old Fox” of Payton LivingCenter. A joyous man who rereads the encyclopedia compulsively, he is unnerved by the sudden arrivals of a menacing new staffer and a disruptive, brain-injured roommate. His equilibrium is further worsened by Martine, a one-eyed new resident who has romantic intentions and convinces him to go off his meds to feel “normal” again. Undone by these pressures, Todd attempts an escape to return “home” to his younger brother and to a childhood that now inhabits only his dreams.

Written astonishingly in the first-person voice of an autistic, adult man, Best Boy—with its unforgettable portraits of Todd’s beloved mother, whose sweet voice still sings from the grave, and a staffer named Raykene, who says that Todd “reflects the beauty of His creation”—is a piercing, achingly funny, finally shattering novel no reader can ever forget.

The Boy Who Went Away
by Eli Gottlieb
-Autism, Contemporary Fiction
Amazon | Goodreads
Author trailer: from E. Van Lowe

=====> LOVED this mashup of author and books - so cool ;-)

AND binge watching:

Mr. Robot
tv series, season one
-Crime, Drama
Wikipedia | imdb
Follows a young computer programmer (Malek) who suffers from social anxiety disorder and forms connections through hacking. He's recruited by a mysterious anarchist, who calls himself Mr. Robot.

~*~
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Friday, September 4, 2015

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril X

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril X
hosted by the Estella Society
September 1 - October 31, 2015
(details and signup) | (review links)

~*~
I participated in this challenge back in 2009 and had a blast. For this Fall season, I decided to do it again with the new books and films coming out.

~*~
Rules:
1. Have fun reading (and watching).
2. Share that fun with others.

Select from these genres and pick your peril (here):

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

Or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above.

My Peril picks:

Peril the First: Read four books, any length, that you feel fit (the very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature.

The Demon's Grave
by E.M. MacCallum
-Urban Fantasy
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

The Devil and Winnie Flynn
by Micol Ostow
illustrated by David Ostow
-Paranormal, YA
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Escape from Witchwood Hollow
by Jordan Elizabeth
-Fantasy, Witches, YA
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Silent Circle
(The Witches Circle #1)
by Cassandra Larsen
-Fantasy, Witches, YA
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
Extra:

The Girl Without A Name
by Sandra Block
-Psychological thriller
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

The Measure of Temperance
by Ichabod Temperance
-Steampunk, Zombies
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Night Film
by Marisha Pessl
-Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Amazon | Goodreads
~*~

Peril of the Short Story: Read short stories any time during the challenge.

Necronomicon:
The Best Weird Tales of H.P. Lovecraft
(Commemorative Edition)
Amazon | Goodreads=====> I read the first story in this collection and did not really take to it. I will try one more and if it is another no-go then I will change my book pick for this peril.

=====> Read the second story which was somewhat amusing. I will try again with the third story in this collection.

=====> Just can't bring myself to read another story. I will set this aside for another time.

~*~

Peril On the Screen: This is for those of us that like to watch suitably scary, eerie, mysterious gothic fare during this time of year. It may be something on the small screen or large.

Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)
Revenge of the Creature (1955) --> Clint Eastwood has a small part in this one
The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
-Horror, SciFi
my rating: 4
Amazon | imdb=====> Creature from the Black Lagoon can be viewed as a classic in that monster costumes come into play.

Let The Right One In (2008)
Director: Tomas Alfredson
-Horror, Vampires
my rating: 5
imdb=====> This is one that you could re-watch and become aware of different aspects of the story being told. A love story (or not) in different ways.

The Visit
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Theatre release date: September 11, 2015
imdb | my review -coming=====> Aw shucks, missed it in theatre. Will have to wait for DVD.

The Last Witch Hunter
Director: Breck Eisner
Theatre release date: October 23, 2015
imdb

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
Director: Christopher Landon
Theatre release date: October 30, 2015
imdb
~*~

Peril of the Group Read: September 18 to October 18

The Quick
by Lauren Owen
Amazon | Goodreads=====> I started reading this but just could not get into it. Perhaps I will try it another time.

~*~
* R.I.P.X artwork by Abigail Larson

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Stacking the Shelves - 5.30.15

My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante
-Italy, Historical
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> wanted to start this trilogy as book 3 has been getting great reviews

For Review:

Eight Hundred Grapes: A Novel
by Laura Dave
-Chick-lit
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

The Measure of Temperance
by Ichabod Temperance
-steampunk, zombies
courtesy of author
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
Gift:

You're on Your Own
(But I'm Here If You Need Me):
Mentoring Your Child During the College Years
by Majorie Savage
-Non-fiction
courtesy of friend
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
Library:

Finder, Vol. 04: Talisman (Finder #4)
by Carla Speed McNeil
-Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Amazon | Goodreads
Finder: Talisman is a great stand alone entry into an amazing world! Since 1996, Finder has set the bar for science-fiction storytelling, with a lush, intricate world and compelling characters. Finder: Talisman is the story of a book - the book beloved by misfits and castaways, once glimpsed and forever longed for - and of Marcie, the kid who never gives up her search for magic and meaning. Now, the fan-favorite story is collected in a new, oversized hardcover edition!

AND binge watching:

Shameless
tv series, season four
-humor, drama
Amazon | imdb | wikipedia
An alcoholic man lives in a perpetual stupor while his six children with whom he lives cope as best they can.

~*~
* 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

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Clocks, Cogs and Mechanisms Reading Challenge 2015

Clocks, Cogs and Mechanisms
Reading Challenge 2015
January 1 – December 31, 2015
Sign up ends September 30
hosted by Writing Our Fairy Tale -details
The premise:

Read books from the steampunk genre.

What do I let count as steampunk?
You can count books like “The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells and other books that are considered precursors to steampunk, I have no problem with you counting graphic novels like Full Metal Alchemist.

They do not have to be on a paper to count, your ebooks count as well.
You can also count these books towards other challenges.

Brass Gears: Read 1-3 steampunk books
Flight goggles: 4-6 books
Button-up boots: 7-12 books
Clockwork Corset: 13+ books

My goal:

I plan on getting to Button-up boots: 7-12 books by year end.

My reading list: so far...
My review links will light up once review is posted.