The Best Reader:
fantasy

The purpose of this blog is to inform reluctant readers of great literature that will get them passionate about reading.

I accept review copies from authors and publishers and I love to participate in blog tours, host contests and interview authors. As a first year teacher, my time is limited; because of this, I am not able to accept every book offered.

All my reviews are original and honest. I have never been compensated and all of my thoughts are my own.

Types of Genres I enjoy: While Young Adult and Adult literature is my main focus, I do accept and review some middle grade and children's titles. I am partial to fantasy, paranormal, chick-lit, romance, historical fiction, literary fiction, anything that addresses social issues, mysteries and thrillers.

I do not prefer to read a series out of sequence. If you have a review request that is part of a series that I have not read, I will ask that you provide a copy of each of it’s predecessors. This will allow for a more effective review, all reviews of the series will be posted as well.

Genres I don't usually pick up: I normally do not read non-fiction, memoirs/biographies or science-fiction. But, if you feel that a particular book would be beneficial and interesting towards reluctant readers — I'd be willing to consider it. Currently I do not accepting e-books or pdfs for review. I do occasionally accept self-published books.

When I accept a novel to review: It does not guarantee that I will write a review. While I strive to complete each book, if I find myself unable or unwilling to finish it, I will not force myself to read. I truly believe that reading should be enjoyable — if the book I am attempting to read becomes a "chore," I will put it down. I do promise to read 100 pages of each book accepted for review before putting it down. If I do not finish a book, I always pass it on (unless the provider of the review book asks me not to) in, what I call, a "Quick Giveaway." I simply give the book to the first responder with a Guest Review. An example of a Quick Giveaway. If you do not want a book to be passed on, please tell me before hand or I can make no guarantee that it won't be handed off to another reader.

While I try to only accept review books I think I will like, I cannot guarantee that the review will be positive, but it will be fair. I don't take pleasure in negating someone's work, but my reviews will be my honest opinion. My reviews include a synopsis of the novel (generally provided by Amazon or the publisher's website) and my personal thoughts about the book.
How long will it take for a review: I try to read the review titles that I receive in a timely manner but I do have time constraints. If the book is an ARC, I will try to review the book in the month surrounding its release date, in most cases before the book is released or shortly after. If the book is already released then it may take me anywhere from 2-4 months to read and review it.

Note of Clarification: Review if I do not plan on keeping the book in my classroom. If this is not something you want, please tell me before hand — just in case. Also, I love hosting giveaways or Author Interviews — if this is something you'd be interested in, please let me know.

Traffic Details: According to Google Analytics, I receive about 200 visitors a day and generally have 10 to 15 comments a day. This blog is not particularly meant to generate huge amounts of outside traffic. This blog is meant to introduce reluctant young readers to different novels. During the school year my students visit this blog daily and will contribute to the reviews listed. My students will use this blog as a reference when looking for a "good book to read for fun."

If you're interested in knowing a bit more about me — please visit my About Me page.

Disclosure: All of the books I receive for review are provided by the publisher or the author. I do not expect, accept, or receive monetary compensation for my reviews.

Please welcome this week's Guest Reviewer Jasmyn, from Jasmyn's Stuff.

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From Amazon.com...

"Lifelong friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart. They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then. Not until a chance encounter with a beautiful, sorrowful woman, who bears a magical crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world. No one expected them to be heroes. Least of all, them."

The story of a group of friends reunited after 5 years. Hoping for a peaceful homecoming and reunion they are shocked to find trouble literally on their doorstep. Enter some entrancing new friends to add plenty of extra story and crazy magician to liven things up. Throw a few dragons, and plenty of icky baddies into the mix for an epic tale of good vs evil, where the difference isn't always so easy to see.

The characters all take turns being your favorite, they are not just fictional names, they are brought to life in full color. The good, the bad, and the parts we just aren't sure about yet. They interact with each other and people outside the group in ways that only enhance their personalities. Characters are dynamic, constantly changing, but doing it slowly enough that the reader is able to follow and understand every new trait that emerges. Even the dragons, while each is only shown for a short period of time, scream into the story larger than life (which they should be).

This is a series I come back to every couple years and each time I read it I find myself locked to the pages in suspense, devouring words to see what is going to happen next.

This is a must read for any fan of high fantasy and epic tales. I'll be starting book 2, Dragons of Winter Night, as soon as I can find my copy!!!!

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Thank you so much Jasmyn for the awesome review! I haven't read (or heard) about these books. Thank you!

Please share some book love with Jasmyn over at Jasmyn's Stuff. Check out her original revie w too!

With the release of New Moon, so many young adult (and adult) readers are getting excited and having a great time. Unfortunately, the "nay-sayers" (as I like to call them) are being more negative than ever. I recently wrote an article about it for the University's newspaper and I thought now would be the ideal time to share it with you.

Literary Snobs Beware

On November 20^th, thousands of ‘tweens’ will flood the cinemas to see New Moon, the highly anticipated sequel to Twilight. The Twilight franchise, both the books and the movies, is the newest fad – even Walmart would agree. But with any new fad, there are always the nay-sayers; as easy as it is to find someone reading one of the four Twilight books, it seems it is even easier to find someone bashing these books. Personally, I’ve read the books and have seen the first movie. I don’t own any stickers, shirts, or other Robert Pattinson merchandise, but I did enjoy reading the books. And while I am not in complete support of Twilight’s Walmart domination, I can’t argue with it.

The Twilight phenomenon has put good books in students’ hands (by choice), much like what Harry Potter accomplished while I was in high school. You can argue that the writing is less than perfect, the heroine is slightly ridiculous, and that Edward Cullen is a little “too” brooding and may, in fact, be a stalker. You can’t, however, argue with the fact that both young adults and adults are reading recreationally. Those who have read the books, generally speaking, like them. It is the people who haven’t read the books that are making all the ruckus.

With the release of the new movie, ‘Twilighters’ are glowing with excitement – and why shouldn’t they be? I’ll be the first to point out the flaws of the novels (and the movie), but who am I to judge someone else’s reading preferences? It is extremely detrimental to society to have all these Anti-Twilight people laughing at, humiliating, and pointing fingers at those who have read, liked, and even became obsessed with the novels. To publically criticize another’s choice of literature instills in the recreational reader the idea that reading a particular book, Twilight in this case, is “uncool.” Then the reader begins to question what else they’ve read, and liked, that was, according to society, ridiculous. At this point, the reader is humiliated and ready to give up recreational reading entirely. This, of course, applies to other genres that are labeled as less than ‘popular’ or acceptable by literary snobs such as graphic novels, comic books, the Harlequin Romance novels (and others as such), chick-lit, fantasy, or sci-fi. I have personally witnessed on several occasions, as have most people, the verbal abuse that occurs once the Twilight topic is raised amongst peers. Ironically, these abusive nay-sayers, stereotypically, don’t read their homework assignments, much less for recreation.

To those who publicly humiliate anyone who has read and enjoyed the Twilight series or any of the other ‘unpopular’ genres: who do you think you are? What gives you the right to judge what others read to the point of embarrassing them? Who gives you the authority to say such hurtful things? Yes, Twilight has seemingly taken over the world, but at least people are reading. Please think twice before you even joke about how ridiculous Twilight is, reading has already become an almost taboo subject. Those who read recreationally are, occasionally, ashamed of this behavior (why, I don’t know) – but they definitely don’t need your discouragement.

To those who are self-proclaimed Twilight (obsessed) fans or book lovers in general, do not be afraid of reading recreationally and displaying your love of literature. If anything else, come up with a witty comeback using big words, after all, you are the literate one. Either way, I'll see you in the theaters.

This week I'd like to (once again) welcome a very good friend of mine, Sheila from One Person's Journey through a World of Books!

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From Amazon.com...

"What really happened to Anastasia Romanov?
Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead.
In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn't know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college—until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams…"
What would you do if your nightmare turned out to be more than just a dream—and the only way to stop it was to believe the impossible? Anastasia Romanov knows she should be dead; she watched her family fall in a hail of gunfire. Instead, something, or someone, saved her. Trapped and scared in a magical hut with a witch who may be friend or foe, she begins to come to grips with the truth about her situation: that some fates are WORSE than death.

In her dreams, sixteen year old Anne Michaelson is somewhere else. She is someone else. The dreams feel as real as her waking life and they terrify her. This is not good for her social life! Aside from that, Anne thinks her life is pretty ordinary – until she runs into handsome, mysterious, and (okay) annoying Ethan on her way to chemistry class. Now Anne has powers she doesn’t understand, a history-altering mission she doesn’t want, and a growing attraction to a blue-eyed stranger that seems to be stalking her! And when Ethan realizes that Anne is the girl he’s been searching for, things start to get a little surreal! Despite her skepticism and reluctance, Anne quickly realizes that you don’t need to be imprisoned to be trapped! Stir in the doomed Duchess Anastasia, who is not quite as dead as the history books say, and the Baba Yaga, a legendary witch from Russian folklore, and you’ve got Dreaming Anastasia by debut novelist Joy Preble.
Joy Preble’s experience with Russian legends developed through her crazy maternal grandmother, who had been one of TWENTY children! The story goes that her grandmother’s family didn’t even notice when she ran off to America at sixteen, married badly, raised four children on her own and was the least grandmotherly of grandmothers a girl could ever hope for (despite her amusing and insane tales of the Bolsheviks and tsars). No warm and fuzzies there, only admonitions for Joy to eat her vegetables so she would be strong enough to survive the impending pogroms!
My Thoughts: This book was a wonderful mix for me – not only as a YA read – but to me it dabbled in so much more. There is history to this book with Baba Yaga and Anastasia Romanov. There is the taste of fantasy and the essence of mystery…. basically it had a lot of my favorite genre’s all roled up into one neat little binding.
I have to say I loved the story line based around Baba Yaga (I love folklore!)

I would rate this a PG13 rating for some language

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Thank you so much Sheila! I hadn't heard of this book! It sounds like a great intriguing read that I will most definitely be adding to my TBR list! Thank you so much!

Make sure to stop by One Person's Journey through a World of Books and share some book love with Sheila! If you have a great read that you would like to share or donate, please see my invitation to Guest Reviewers!

Find out what others think:
Hope's Bookshelf

This week I'd like to welcome Sharry from Always Dream. Thank you so much!

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Synopsis: Sloe barely remembers the city where she grew up. Her earliest memory is of arriving at the dirty, unfriendly prison camp called the Settlement, a rundown collection of factories built in a cold, dark wilderness of perpetual blizzards in winter and muddy marshes in spring. Sometimes, on cold evenings after the work quota for the day is finished, her mother would light the oil lamp, and under it's warm, cozy glow, show her the secret magic. She would lovingly open a tiny nutshell containing six vials, and on these vials Mama's magic would work. Soon, tiny little creatures with quivering noses and nailpin eyes would roll and tangle playfully about inside the little nutshell case, full of life and love, their tiny paws pressed against the glass dome of their little home. "One day," says Mama, "maybe quite soon, or maybe years and years from now, when you are grown-up, it will be time to take them to the city... Not our city, another city. Where the sun always shines. It's a long journey, hundreds of miles to the north and west, through the wilderness and the forest, through the forests to the sea, and across the ice to the other side". Sloe always imagined going on the trip with her mother and escaping the hopeless tired life of the Settlement, but she soon finds herself the sole guardian of the little creatures, and this faraway dream becomes a direction for her hope and the survival of both herself and possibly, the regeneration of life on earth itself.

Review: I was really moved, disturbed, and hypnotized by this story. Sloe's struggle to survive and find the truth of her mother's words propel the story forward all the way to the last page of this story, in which I clamped the book shut with awe and content.

When I first picked this novel up, I assumed it was going to be a sort of Historical Fiction, possibly about WWII and the Holocaust. I didn't read the jacket flap synopsis very closely so I didn't pick up on the hints put there. I sort of took the book up on a whim. Now I want a copy! And I want more of Ann Halam's work!

There is a unique mixture of fairytale and science at play. Because Sloe lived in an environment where people cared more about day to day survival than proper education, she grew up sort of in awe of this scientific secret her mother made her keep and take care of, this secret that was like magic to her. Even when she grows up into a headstrong, intelligent young woman, the beautiful mystery of the nutshell case remained something to ponder over. Through the course of the book — as she grows up and leaves to another prison-like school, stumbles through early teenage years that slowly harden her pains and losses into bittersweet memories, falls into wrong hands, escapes, trudges through the vast landscape of a perpetual Siberia, narrowly flees from a strange pursuer — she slowly pieces together the truth and the importance of the mission her mama gave her long ago.

I read this novel all in one sitting, it was that compelling! It really had fairytale echoes in it, and I don't want to say too much because I might give away some important parts of the plot. But, this novel was truly a gem! I'm so excited to have come across Ann Halam and I have a feeling that she has written more little treasure worlds that I can let my mind and imagination wander in. With adventure, fantasy, and a tale of a headstrong girl with her wits about her, Siberia is one of those novels that will fully transport you into a different world, keep your heart pumping, your eyes glued to the page and provide much food for thought!

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Thank you so much Sharry for such an awesome review! I will definitely be sure to add this to my list!

Please share some book love and visit Sharry at Always Dream!

BIG thanks to Scarlett, From the Heart, for this awesome review! Thank you Scarlett!

******************* From Amazon.com...

"This is the first in a trilogy in which a new universe has been created. A world where daemons swoop and scuttle along the streets of Oxford and London, where the mysterious Dust swirls invisibly through the air, and where one child knows secrets the adults would kill for."

Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend other kidnapped children from becoming the subjects of gruesome experiments the far North.

My favorite book of all time is Northern Lights or The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. Northern lights is my favorite book because I am a huge fantasy junkie. I just cannot get enough fantasy. The idea of the daemons is a terrific one. While reading this book I was wishing that I could have my own personal daemon and I wondered what my daemon would look like when it took on its final form.

Basically, Philip Pullman has woven a magical tale that is actually believable. It’s so well-written that I find myself pulled into the magic of the world and it seems as if I am there as part of the magic.

The characters are all definitely memorable. I loved Lyra, she is just the coolest character ever. I also remember Pan, he is just great. Pan would be such a great daemon friend.

If you’re looking for a great fantasy book with elements of action and mystery then definitely look into Northern Lights because I know that you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did!
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Again, HUGE thanks to Scarlett, From the Heart! Make sure to stop by and share some book love!

BBAW is finally here and I am so excited to welcome Chachic from Chachic Book's Nook.

You're from the Philippines! That is so cool! Are there other book bloggers in your area? If so, what are they! I'd love to visit their blogs!
I'm so glad you think it's cool that I'm from the Philippines! There are actually a number of book bloggers here. I only started blogging this year but I noticed that there have been Filipino book bloggers for several years and more and more are popping out lately. I noticed that we didn't have a site that brings together all Filipino book bloggers so I decided to create Filipino Book Bloggers (http://filipinobookbloggers.wordpress.com/) . I know the name isn't that creative but I'm happy to get to know some of the book bloggers out there. We're having our first meet up soon and I'm really excited for that.

That's so awesome about the meet up! I hope it goes awesome! Because English is your second language, is it hard to read YA novels written in English? What about writing the reviews? Here in the Philippines, we actually use English as the medium of instruction. The Philippines was colonized by the United States and it was Americans who established education in the Philippines. All of our subjects, starting from nursery up to college, are taught in English except for Filipino and a couple of other History subjects. That's why English books aren't translated to Filipino over here and I'm comfortable with reading books and writing reviews in English. Also, I've never mentioned this on my blog but I actually work with Americans. I'm a research analyst for a Business Process Outsourcing company and I report directly to people in the US.

As an international book blogger, what differences in book blogging have your noticed between international and US book blogging?
One of the main differences is we don't get review copies. International shipping is really expensive so I understand that publishers would have a hard time sending review copies and it also takes a couple of weeks for the books to get here. I've never received a copy for review and most of the other Filipino book bloggers that I've talked to also haven't received any review copies. The books that I review on the blog are given as gifts, bought, or borrowed.

On a positive note, I love it when US book bloggers are amazed with some of the things that I mention in reviews like how I've never seen snow or how we don't have public libraries over here. You don't have public libraries! Wow, that really makes me appreciate my library.
You host a meme called "Want Books?" where readers can highlight books that they want but can't have either to it not being released in their country yet, not having the money for it, a far-out release date, etc. Where did you come with the idea? When is your weekly post up? How many bloggers generally participate? I love the photo too! Are you familiar with the meme Waiting on Wednesday (WoW), which is hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine (http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/) ? In WoW, you can feature upcoming releases that you're eagerly waiting for. I used to use that meme but then I realized that it would be better if there's a meme that lets you feature books that have already come out that you can't get for some reason. Instead of complaining about books not being available here, I thought it would be better if I could create a meme to highlight them. So that's how I came up with Want Books. I put up a post every Saturday and anyone can participate. It isn't a popular meme though and only a handful of book blogger friends have participated. I don't mind because I don't think I'll ever run out of material for the meme, there will always be books in my wishlist.:)

I see that you have a giveaway ending TOMORROW! What is it and who is eligible? Yes! I have a Mortal Instruments giveaway but sadly, it's only for residents of the Philippines. All you need to do to enter is tell me what review of mine is your favorite and why. Learn more about it here. We both read a lot of YA, what books would you recommend to struggling young adult readers? Oh gosh, I have so many recommendations! Here you go:

Fantasy
The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
Sasharia En Garde duology by Sherwood Smith
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore
His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
The Changeover by Margaret Mahy

Fairy Tale Retellings
Beauty by Robin McKinley
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

YA Contemporary Fiction
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
Jessica Darling books by Megan McCafferty

Historical Fiction
Sunbird, The Lion Hunters, The Empty Kingdom by Elizabeth Wein
A Countess Below Stairs, The Reluctant Heiress and A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson
Thanks for all the great recommendations! Wow! I'm going to steal one of your questions because it was so good! What is your "good read" preference — contemporary YA, epic fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction or dystopian? I read read books from all of those genres but I have a special place in my heart for epic fantasy.

What are your comfort reads? Books that you go to on a rainy day for a reread when nothing seems to be going your way. The books that I listed in the recommendations section are my favorites so they're really my comfort reads. I've reread most of those several times already.

What book are you pinning for — that you can't wait to get your hands on? Oh so many! Check out my Want Books meme because I have weekly posts on books that I'm pining for. Although if you're asking for books that are yet to be released, I can't wait to get Bayou Moon and Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews, Pegasus by Robin McKinley and Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier.

Chachic, thank you so much for stopping by! It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you and discovering your blog. Readers, please remember to stop by and visit Chachic at Chachic Book's Nook.

Get Caught Reading is a new Sunday event at Miss Remmers' Review. For more information check out this post.

While not the most exciting photo, this is the perfect Sunday night for me. Dan and I are watching "Battlestar Gallactica" (which isn't nearly as nerdy as I thought it would be), he's checking his Fantasy Football scores, and I'm reading "Matched."

If you've been caught reading this week, please sign the Mr. Linky! I'm really excited to find out where everyone else gets caught. I plan on sharing these pictures with students to spur their excitement!

Where did you get caught reading this week?

"I enjoyed the audiobook and recommend it to any reader looking to return to a world of gowns, princesses, magic, and dancing" — Miss Remmers

Release Date: March 2011
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Challenges: Audiobook Challenge, DAC 2011, 100+ Reading Challenge

"Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her... beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing... it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation. Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest. But there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late."
I haven't read a book like this in a long time — a true fairy tale-esque story. Yes I've read loads of fantasy and paranormal books, but it's been forever since I've felt complete transported back in time to a land of princesses and magic. The audiobook was extremely helpful with this particular book in regards to setting the scene and the atmosphere of the fairy tale. The narrator was superb and excellently pulled off that "In a land far away" type of voice.
As for the plot — I did have a few frustrations. There are twelve little princesses — TWELVE! I found this a bit excessive and they all kind of mushed into one princess by the middle of the book. I just don't understand why it was necessary to have TWELVE princesses. Even now, after reading the book, I only remember Azalea, Bramble, and Clover as actually having a personality. I understand that Dixon wanted to illustrate that Azalea was the "mother figure" and that she had a lot on her plate — but honestly, with twelve sisters to remember I had a lot on MY plate!
I was also bothered by the triviality of the main concern of this story — dancing. Now, I love to dance and I never sit out a dance (not even on my wedding night!) but really, if your life basically goes down the toilet and (I'll just say it because I think we can all assume it's going to happen) your mother dies I feel like you're going to be a bit more concerned about other things than dancing. I found this preoccupation with the hobby a bit repetitive and unbelievable.
Wow. That sounds really negative. I don't mean it to be because in reality I enjoyed this audiobook. It was a great listen while walking the dog and I looked forward to those walks because of it. Those two slight annoyances were just that... annoyances. They never ruined the book for me and they didn't (obviously) make me stop listening. I enjoyed Azalea's character although some of her actions may have made me doubt her intelligence (but really, what damsel in distress do you NOT doubt the intelligence?). She was likable and headstrong and she really did have her sisters' best interests at heart. I loved the two main love interests (and the surprising third) and I especially enjoyed the King.
Random point — I felt like there were three different times this book could have ended besides the actual ending. When listening to an audiobook you can't necessarily "see" the end so this was a bit confusing (when all of the tracks are downloaded so you aren't dealing with CDs) and I actually had to go into my iPod option on my phone to make sure I was on the right track.
In short, had I attempted to read this book rather than listen to it I'm not sure if I would have been able to stick to it simply because it is harder to get used to this entirely different atmosphere and scene. The narrator did a fantastic job of whisking me away to this far away land whenever I put my ear phones in. The plot, while centered around the repetitive concept of the love of dancing, did actually fit the feeling of the book and the characters, who melded into a three characters (Azalea, Bramble, Clover, little sisters), were likable and fit well into this fairy tale-esque world that Dixon has created. I enjoyed the audiobook and recommend it to any reader looking to return to a world of gowns, princesses, magic, and dancing.
-Visit Heather around the web here: Website | Goodreads
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook

To the FTC, with love: Library Loan Audiobook recommended by Michelle at Hooked to Books

This week's Guest Reviewer is Alexia from Alexia's Books and Such...

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A teenage boy. A dark wizard. A mystic scroll. And the fate of a world hangs in the balance... When Alex "the Axeman" Logan is pulled from his world to help young princess Dara save her kingdom from the Shadow Lord, he thinks there has been a mistake. He's a teen guitar player close to failing 11th grade, not some defender of the realm. All he has are some school books, his wits, and his love of fantasy movies. Overnight his life is history. Alex must confront the Shadow Lord and his minions when he is thrust into a land that has changed from a magical paradise to a barren, hopeless, helpless realm invaded by a dark army. But Alex is not alone. He has the help of Dara, a magic scroll, and a band of unlikely companions drawn from his own history books: a hardened Roman Legionnaire, a swift Japanese Samurai, a mighty African Warrior, a fiery Amazon Archer, and a spirited Shaolin Monk. Can Alex become more than he believes and lead his small band of Defenders to the Hall of Shadows, the birthplace of the Shadow Lord? The fate of the realm and everyone in it rests on him.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book, but have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Princess Dara is just a little girl whose father just started training her in magic, so it's understandable that she accidentally summons the wrong "Axeman" as her protector. And Alex is just a teenager who soon finds out that this wild adventure is all too real. But I love how all those hours spent watching movies and playing video games pay off when Alex is able to predict what should happen next, and is usually right!

The teenage warriors they summon from one of his books are also amazing! While they are all heroes and mighty warriors, they are also still teenagers and I liked how Shiraz made them vulnerable at times. Enjoyed how they all picked up some of Alex's slang, as it's not every day a magical princess says "crap."

I enjoyed Alex's struggle to survive his adventure and prove himself in a world surrounded by heroes. Liked how the warriors all learned to work together and started to become friends. Even liked the evil villains, as sometimes the bad guys can be disappointing, but not in this case! Thought the ending was a little abrupt, but looking forward to the second book so I can find out what happens next!

This was a great story: the story was enjoyable, the writing was very readable, it had likable characters, and I particularly liked that the pages looked like a scroll, which I thought was a nice touch.

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Big thanks to Alexia from Alexia's Books and Such...

Visit, share some book love, and read the original review.

"I wasn't bought at first, but now I cannot imagine my classroom without this amazing series with such depth in both plot and characters." — Miss Remmers

"My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it. This time, there will be no turning back."
Okay, so I'll admit it. I didn't really like "The Iron King " or "The Iron Daughte r." I didn't connect to the characters and I disliked Meghan.
Boy, am I eating my words. I've gone from telling my BFF book friend Button that she shouldn't "waster her time" with this series to calling her while crying and saying she MUST read it! NOW!
Why this sudden change of heart? Simply and obviously put: "The Iron Queen." This was an amazing novel whose characters and plot were both so riveting I couldn't put it down before school, during my lunch, during my plan, after school, after the work out, at dinner, and finally before bed. All I've done today is read "The Iron Queen" — well, you know, besides teaching tomorrow's supposed leaders. When I wasn't reading I couldn't stop thinking about the characters and the seemingly impossible adventure they were on.
And yes, I've warmed up to Ash. In my previous reviews I stated that Ash was basically a bully and downright mean to Meghan 95% of the time — this completely changed with "The Iron Queen." At times there was still a shadow of that icy cold Prince of Winter, but for the most part he was every girl's fantasy (no pun intended) man: a complete gentleman who cares only for you. The romance definitely heated up in this book without it becoming "overly done" or "tasteless." It was definitely the right amount — but it still had me willing for more secret kisses. I felt like Ash's character was finally developed and multi-dimensional. For this reason I am just giddy with excitement for "The Iron Knight" and completely bummed that it's release date is so far away (November 2011).
Despite my new appreciation for Ash, I still think I'm TEAM PUCK. It's nothing against Ash or Meghan... Puck is just more my type of guy and much more like my real guy.:) Puck's character was further developed in this novel as well. As were all the characters really: Meghan, Paul, Grim etc. Grim was a character I didn't necessarily like in the first two novels; he seemed to... wishy washy, like it was too easy for him to change sides. Now I trust him completely. However, I'm still unsure of Lea; we will see the part she has to play in Knight.
This book was absolutely fantastic. The last 100 pages I was glued to my Nook screen; I couldn't pull myself away! I cried more than once, felt my heart break, my body tense, and sighed a sigh of, not relief, but of hope at least. Julie Kagawa, I tip my hat to you. I wasn't bought at first, but now I cannot imagine my classroom without this amazing series with such depth in both plot and characters. This series will definitely be my next book talk.
Random: I love Razor! I want one!!

Originality: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Overall: 59/60 A

To find out more about this series and author, visit the following links:
-Visit Julie around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kindle | Nook

To the FTC, with love: Hardcopy ARC and eBook via NetGalley

Wow! BBRAW has officially come and gone! Thanks to everyone who participated or stopped by! I've had a great time getting to know some new bloggers and reconnecting with old friends.

You've made it through the week! Thank people for stopping by, thank new readers and old readers, wrap up your giveaway (if you had one), tell who you nominated for as MVR and why (if you feel comfortable), wrap up the first BBRAW experience, and basically celebrate your readers in any way that you like!

Kimberly @ Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Kimberly always stops by my blog and checks out my facebook posts. She is so sweet and always takes time to read basically anything I post. She always puts a smile on my face. She is probably the biggest supporter of my site and I really appreciate it. She is so awesome and kind.

I enjoy her comments, we share in many cases very alike reading tastes, she has recommended wonderful books and audio to me — and probably most influential is that her Check Point meme she started this year inspired me to start Team Kickin It. Her advice and encouragement is valued.

She is the very best commenter ever... and I pretty much think of just talking to her when I'm writing my blog posts.

Ryan has become a blogging buddy of mine who not only leaves me thoughtful comments, but also encourages me to try new authors with his great reviews! He's been a longtime follower/reader/friend and the blogging world is a better place because he's in it!

She is one of the most faithful readers of my blog, nearly since the beginning. I'm proud to call her a friend as well, even though we've never met! Her book preferences are so insync with mine, we often joke that we are sisters from different mothers. She's a wonderful lady!

Mindy is always leaving thoughtful and wonderful comments on my reviews and posts. Her comments never fail to make me smile. We all know that when you run your own blog you can get bogged down and not find time to visit other people's blogs and comment, but she is always taking time to connect and comment on other peoples reviews and to reach out positively on twitter.

She always stops by my reviews and leaves thoughtful comments. I see her around at tons of blogs even though she has her own awesome blog to run! She is full of pure awesome!

Giselle is everywhere, leaving comments. Her name caught my eye because of how many times she commented on my blog especially when I didn't have many Followers. As I do my best to comment in the blogiverse, I see her name and cute smile everywhere. She makes socializing a goal and really shares the warm fuzzies of Comments!!!

Winners, look for an email from me before Wednesday (things are a bit busy right now with the trip we're going on tomorrow and picking up Prim on Monday).

"The world that Kagawa created in 'The Iron King' fit every setting desire I remember wanting to read." — Miss Remmers

From Amazon.com...

"Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart."

Book Trailer:

This was a great read that I wish I had read at another time; two weeks ago when I read this book I developed the bad habit of "rushing" through books by skimming the pages. I'm not sure why I felt the need to rush an activity I loved with a great book, but I think it may be due to the responsibility of posting reviews and the need to "produce" — but that's a whole other post. The point is: I skimmed this book. I was so excited to reach the end that I forgot that it's the journey that makes a book great. Consequently as a fault 100% my own, I missed out on the characterization and the plot subtleties of this magnificent book.

Even with this lack of knowledge (again, completely my fault) and "skimming" the book, I fell in love with the plot and the setting. It reminded me of everything I had hoped existed as a child — faeries, kings, queens, princesses, knights, and magic. The world that Kagawa created in "The Iron King" fit every setting desire I remember wanting to read. So many times as a pre-teen I remember sitting down and trying to write this world that Kagawa has written so flawlessly; but each time I got caught up in all the who(s) and the what(s) that writing became less of an art and more of a encyclopedia of fantasy knowledge. With "The Iron King," I now have that world and all the work has been done for me.

I'm so thankful that I "The Iron Daughter" and "The Iron Queen" to read and to read right. Has anyone else ever gotten so caught up in the blogosphere that the ends just don't justify the means? That the need to produce so many reviews a week etc made reading a chore and pages a nuisance? I definitely need to reevaluate and practice slowing down — next time I rush through a novel I may not be so lucky as to have another chance to fully throw myself into the world, plot, and characters.

Originality: 10/10
Ending: 9/10
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Overall: 55/60 A

To find out more about this series and author, visit the following links:
-Visit Julie around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kindle | Nook

To the FTC, with love: Library Loan

As the first Author Interview of the New Year, I'd like to welcome Barbara Fifield, author of "Lucifer Rising."

Tell us a little bit about you. Who is Barbara Fifield?

I am an Army Brat and lived in Germany and Japan as a child. I’ve been writing since I was 11 and won the best short story contest in sixth grade. I had to read my story in front of a class of 45 students (this was the 50’s during the Baby Boom). They loved my story so much they had me read it three times, even though there were other students who had to read theirs. I’ve been writing ever since and majored in journalism in college. I continued to write stories, poems, and plays. One of my poems about dancing was selected by a music company to be made into a song, but I never followed up on it. When I was 18, I wrote my first novel, "The Early Autumn," a teen love story. It was too long and needed editing. A publisher told me to throw it away and write another book. I wrote another one in my 30’s, called "Only Time Will Tell," a novel loosely based on my first marriage which was crumbling at the time. I kept parts of it which I plan to use in my next novel and tossed the rest away, after sending it out to only one literary agent and getting rejected. At this time, I had also returned to college to finish up my journalism degree which had been delayed due to the births of my two children. After writing on newspapers for several years and not making much money, I went back to school and received a Master’s Degree in Social Work as there were a lot of jobs in that field during the 1980’s. I wrote another novel called "Letting Go," where the main character, Marjorie, works as a social worker with abused women, then meets her second husband. That is the next book I plan to publish, maybe in a couple of years, after several more rewrites. My first novel, "Photographs and Memories," published last spring, is about how the character Angela coped with moving to Florida and the death of her second husband.

Describe the publication process you went through after writing "Lucifer Rising."

"Lucifer Rising" is my second novel and was published the end of June, 2009. It’s a fantasy romance about a female reporter, Elsa, who falls in love with a cult leader who happens to be a reincarnation of the angel, Lucifer. After many break ups, she finally leaves him, hopefully for good, although she questions her decision at the end. I base a lot of my characters on people I’ve known, and using my imagination, I concoct fictional personalities. The events that happen in the novel, such as Elsa finding her lover with another woman are made up but could have happened in real life to the characters, based on the personalities of the individuals they depict. The novel was published by Outskirts Press in only six months after it was submitted.

What was the easiest thing about writing "Lucifer Rising?" The hardest?

"Lucifer Rising" just flowed from me, with little rewriting, while I was waiting for my first novel, "Photographs and Memories," to be published. I’ve never found an easier book to write. The hardest thing about writing "Lucifer Rising" was expressing feelings of pain and rejection through Elsa, the main character. Although she realizes her lover, Tyrell, is evil, she still cares about him and keeps trying to make it work.

Describe "Lucifer Rising" in three words.

In three words, "Lucifer Rising" could be described as “Cultist captivates women.”

Do you have any habits when you write? If so, what are they.

Writing habits: I write for hours on end, rewriting as I go, then rewriting what I wrote earlier the next day. Sometimes it takes me weeks to finish one chapter. When my head starts spinning from all of the rewrites, I often go out to take a walk. That clears my mind.

What is something surprising or shocking about you that most people don't know?

Many events and characters I write about I’ve experienced which may surprise many readers.

Where do you hang out offline?

I am involved in many clubs off-line. I am the newsletter editor for a local chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). I also attend Toastmaster’s which is training me how to speak to audiences about my novels.

Where do you hang out online?

Visit my website at http://fifieldauthor.com/

If after reading the review and readers want to purchase the novel, where should they go?

Those who wish to purchase "Lucifer Rising" may find it on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.co,m or Outskirtspress.com’s bookstore.

Thank you, Barbara, for stopping by and answering a few questions. My review of "Lucifer Rising" will be posted soon.

"The characters were all fantastically real to me... I found myself rooting for them and thinking of them well after the book was closed and finished. The plot was extremely fast paced, suspenseful, and down-right addicting." — Miss Remmers
From Amazon.com...
"Not all dreams are sweet.
For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody — notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime. She can't tell anybody about what she does — they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.
Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant... "

Book Trailer I picked this book up simply because it looked good. Then I read the premise and that sounded interesting too. So I put it with the five other "these look good" books at the used bookstore; when I got home I put them on my shelf. Less than 24 hours later I felt drawn to this book, there were loads of other books I needed to get to first but I found myself looking on the shelf for this book in particular after finishing Delirium.
Upon first opening "Wake," I realized that the writing is extremely choppy — and that I liked it that way. The sentences are short and to the point; it's a type of writing style I would normally discourage with my freshmen, but with "Wake" I found that it drew me in and added both mystery and suspense. The choppy writing made the story seem to move faster and with a sense of urgency. Lisa's writing style otherwise was unique and different. The different font for the dreams and the reality were helpful; the dream writing was done so in a way that I felt like I was actually seeing it.
I pitied Janie for her ability, I can't imagine getting pulled into people's dreams without warning. It'd be one thing if she were sleeping too, but that she can be driving, studying, talking, and all of a sudden pass out — not cool. But speaking of cool... Cabel is hot. I've been lucky enough to read two books in a row with fantastically drool worthy male protagonists ("Wake" and "Delirium"). Even when Cabel was being sketchy, I couldn't help but hope he had a plan. On the bus with the McDonalds when he came to her rescue — I almost died of romance! The Snickers bar and the skateboard! This boy has moves and if I weren't engaged to the most romantic man I know (nonfiction wise), I'd let him put his moves on me!
Cabel's "alternate" life was a little hard to buy — but it didn't deter me from reading. Lisa's characters were all fantastically real to me, even with their flaws (especially Janie's a bit unbelievable best friend). I found myself rooting for them and thinking of them well after the book was closed and finished.
The plot, like I said, was extremely fast paced, suspenseful, and down-right addicting. I can't wait to pick up "Fade" and "Gone" from the library today!
Originality: 10/10 Ending: 10/10 Characters: 8/10 Plot: 10/10 My reaction/enjoyment: 9/10 Theme: 10/10 Imagery: 10/10 Setting: 5/5 Voice: 5/5 Style: 5/5 Tone: 5/5 Cover: 10/10 Overall: 97/100 A
To the FTC, with love: Loved and Bought
To find out more about this series and author, visit the following links: -Visit Lisa around the web here: Website | Blog
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Random bit of information: Last night I had to extremely awful nightmares that I'm sure Janie is happy she didn't have to witness. Not the kind of nightmare where I'm naked — but the kind where both my parents have died and I didn't get to say good bye. I just remember wallowing in my dream pity. I'm pretty sure my face was contorted to my "crying face" while I was sleeping because now my cheeks hurt. I also dreamt that I was in a play with my three best friends (all drama majors) and I screwed around the whole time and then didn't know my lines when it came to the opening night and I let them all down.
/End Rant