Yes, I know this is a little out of hand.
BOOKS!
Sorry for the link messiness. I don't have time to embed so many links right now!
Forgive me.
THE BOOKSGlory O'Brien's History of the Future: https://amzn.to/2MqkTBg
Imposters: https://amzn.to/2yHKlA9
Spill Zone: https://amzn.to/2tt3MYb
Spill Zone: The Broken Vow: https://amzn.to/2tJTC55
Delilah Dirk & the Pillars of Hercules: https://amzn.to/2MXnzat
Star Talk w/ Neil deGrasse Tyson: https://amzn.to/2KkxoO2
Between Frost & Fury: https://amzn.to/2tzcT8U
When Life Gives You Demons: https://amzn.to/2tuVIGl
Kiss of the Royal: https://amzn.to/2tHGJZg
Dive Smack: https://amzn.to/2Km2BR1
Dear Heartbreak: https://amzn.to/2yRLF3B
Attucks!: https://amzn.to/2IrbDu1
The Boneless Mercies: https://amzn.to/2KkJFVW
Saving Montgomery Sole: https://amzn.to/2N1NY78
Baker's Magic: https://amzn.to/2tvYv2b
Love & First Sight: https://amzn.to/2K7XgR6
Everland: https://amzn.to/2yH6fU1
The Just Men of Cordova: https://amzn.to/2MVaApE
Extraordinary Means: https://amzn.to/2MXo18B
My Name is Not Friday: https://amzn.to/2N0rTpl
Come August, Come Freedom: https://amzn.to/2yHN1xH
Doctor Cerberus: https://amzn.to/2MXnraV
Openly Straight: https://amzn.to/2yJXGrA
When Dimple Met Rishi: https://amzn.to/2tv8Nzx
Dance of Thieves: https://amzn.to/2tCbMpi
Toil & Trouble: https://amzn.to/2MZOVNl
Tell Me No Lies: https://amzn.to/2txAEyi
Supergirl: Being Super: https://amzn.to/2tCnfVO
Smothered: https://amzn.to/2MqyIj5
ALSO MENTIONED:
Spill Zone review: http://www.thebookrat.com/2017/05/recent-comic-reads-review.html
Austen in August: http://www.thebookrat.com/2018/06/austen-in-august-2018-invitation.html
Tony Cliff in AIA: http://www.thebookrat.com/2013/08/coming-to-my-senses-and-sensibilities-tony-cliff.html
Amid Stars & Darkness review: http://www.thebookrat.com/2018/02/bad-romance-tropes-and-amid-stars-and.html
Kiss of the Royal post (live on 7/3!): http://www.thebookrat.com/2018/07/kiss-of-royal-by-lindsey-duga-excerpt.html
Supergirl review: http://www.thebookrat.com/2018/06/giveaway-review-supergirl-being-super.html
Tell Me No Lies impressions: http://www.thebookrat.com/2018/06/tell-me-no-lies-by-adele-griffin.html
Saving Montgomery Sole & Baker's Magic review: http://www.thebookrat.com/2018/06/audiobook-freebies-reviewed-study-in.html
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video, though many of these books were sent to me for review consideration purposes. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Affiliate links used where possible.
Friday, June 29, 2018
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Austen in August 2018 Group Read: LONGBOURN by Jo Baker!
Alright, it's official: though Sanditon (my beloved Sanditon (but only this version)) gave it a run for its money at the end, the winner of the poll for this year's AIA group read is LONGBOURN by Jo Baker!
If you haven't already read it, grab a copy and get to reading, so you can discuss it with the rest of us devoted Janeites during Austen in August!
Discussion questions will go up during AIA -- hope to chat with you soon!
And if you'd like to see a Twitter chat devoted to this year's read, let me know in the comments!
LONGBOURN by Jo Baker
If you haven't already read it, grab a copy and get to reading, so you can discuss it with the rest of us devoted Janeites during Austen in August!
Discussion questions will go up during AIA -- hope to chat with you soon!
And if you'd like to see a Twitter chat devoted to this year's read, let me know in the comments!
LONGBOURN by Jo Baker
• Pride and Prejudice was only half the story •
If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.
In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.
Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Jane Austen’s classic—into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starry-eyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars—and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world that is wholly her own.
If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.
In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.
Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Jane Austen’s classic—into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starry-eyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars—and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world that is wholly her own.
FREE Audiobooks: The Curse of Crow Hollow & Macbeth!
Why, hello there! This is your weekly reminder that the AudiobookSync summer program is going on, which gives access to FREE audiobook downloads through the summer months, to encourage teens (and not-so-teens!) to get reading!
This week, you can get your digital hands on a book that seems to be a bit Southern Gothic (oooh, yum) and a classic staringSpike James Marsters (again, oooh, yum!)
THE CURSE OF CROW HOLLOW
by Billy Coffey | Read by Gabe Wicks
Published by Thomas Nelson
With the “profound sense of Southern spirituality” he is known for (Publishers Weekly), Billy Coffey draws us into a town where good and evil—and myth and reality—intertwine in unexpected ways. Everyone in Crow Hollow knows of Alvaretta Graves, the old widow who lives in the mountain. Many call her a witch; others whisper she’s insane. Everyone agrees the vengeance Alvaretta swore at her husband’s death hovers over them all. That vengeance awakens when teenagers stumble upon Alvaretta’s cabin, incurring her curse. Now a sickness moves through the Hollow. Rumors swirl that Stu Graves has risen for revenge. And the people of Crow Hollow are left to confront not only the darkness that lives on the mountain, but the darkness that lives within themselves. “Coffey spins a wicked tale . . . [The Curse of Crow Hollow] blends folklore, superstition, and subconscious dread in the vein of Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery.’” —Kirkus Reviews
MACBETH
by William Shakespeare | Read by Josh Cooke, JD Cullum, Dan Donohue, Jeannie Elias, Chuma Gault, James Marsters, Jon Matthews, Alan Shearman, André Sogliuzzo, Kate Steele, Kristoffer Tabori, Joanne Whalley
Published by L.A. Theatre Works
Infamously known as the cursed "Scottish play", Macbeth is perhaps Shakespeare’s darkest tragedy. When General Macbeth is foretold by three witches that he will one day be King of Scotland, Lady Macbeth convinces him to get rid of anyone who could stand in his way—including committing regicide. As Macbeth ascends to the throne through bloody murder, he becomes a tyrant consumed by fear and paranoia. An L.A. Theatre Works full cast performance featuring: James Marsters as Macbeth Joanne Whalley as Lady Macbeth Josh Cooke as Banquo/Others JD Cullum as Macduff/Second Murderer Dan Donohue as Ross Jeannie Elias as Second Witch/Others Chuma Hunter-Gault as Lennox/Servant Jon Matthews as Malcolm Alan Shearman as Angus/Others André Sogliuzzo as Donalbain/Third Witch/Others Kate Steele as Lady Macduff/First Witch/Apparition Kristoffer Tabori as Duncan/Others Directed by Martin Jarvis. Recorded before a live audience at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood in May of 2011.
This week, you can get your digital hands on a book that seems to be a bit Southern Gothic (oooh, yum) and a classic staring
by Billy Coffey | Read by Gabe Wicks
Published by Thomas Nelson
With the “profound sense of Southern spirituality” he is known for (Publishers Weekly), Billy Coffey draws us into a town where good and evil—and myth and reality—intertwine in unexpected ways. Everyone in Crow Hollow knows of Alvaretta Graves, the old widow who lives in the mountain. Many call her a witch; others whisper she’s insane. Everyone agrees the vengeance Alvaretta swore at her husband’s death hovers over them all. That vengeance awakens when teenagers stumble upon Alvaretta’s cabin, incurring her curse. Now a sickness moves through the Hollow. Rumors swirl that Stu Graves has risen for revenge. And the people of Crow Hollow are left to confront not only the darkness that lives on the mountain, but the darkness that lives within themselves. “Coffey spins a wicked tale . . . [The Curse of Crow Hollow] blends folklore, superstition, and subconscious dread in the vein of Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery.’” —Kirkus Reviews
by William Shakespeare | Read by Josh Cooke, JD Cullum, Dan Donohue, Jeannie Elias, Chuma Gault, James Marsters, Jon Matthews, Alan Shearman, André Sogliuzzo, Kate Steele, Kristoffer Tabori, Joanne Whalley
Published by L.A. Theatre Works
Infamously known as the cursed "Scottish play", Macbeth is perhaps Shakespeare’s darkest tragedy. When General Macbeth is foretold by three witches that he will one day be King of Scotland, Lady Macbeth convinces him to get rid of anyone who could stand in his way—including committing regicide. As Macbeth ascends to the throne through bloody murder, he becomes a tyrant consumed by fear and paranoia. An L.A. Theatre Works full cast performance featuring: James Marsters as Macbeth Joanne Whalley as Lady Macbeth Josh Cooke as Banquo/Others JD Cullum as Macduff/Second Murderer Dan Donohue as Ross Jeannie Elias as Second Witch/Others Chuma Hunter-Gault as Lennox/Servant Jon Matthews as Malcolm Alan Shearman as Angus/Others André Sogliuzzo as Donalbain/Third Witch/Others Kate Steele as Lady Macduff/First Witch/Apparition Kristoffer Tabori as Duncan/Others Directed by Martin Jarvis. Recorded before a live audience at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood in May of 2011.
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
#30DayBookBinge Round 5!
It's nearly that time again! Grab your bag of beach reads and prepare to READ ALL THE THINGS in the 5th (!) round of the #30DayBookBinge!
About the binge: bit.ly/30DayBookBinge
Printables: http://bit.ly/30DBBprintables
Join in & share what you're reading on social media using the hashtag #30DayBookBinge! And if there's something you'd like to see, let me know!
About the binge: bit.ly/30DayBookBinge
Printables: http://bit.ly/30DBBprintables
Join in & share what you're reading on social media using the hashtag #30DayBookBinge! And if there's something you'd like to see, let me know!
Monday, June 25, 2018
FAVORITE & MEMORABLE CHARACTERS | Book Chat
I COULD GO ON.
So consider this part 1 of a series of ALL THE FAVES.
I'd love to hear some of yours in the comments!
ALSO: I said Merricat BlackWELL, but totes meant BlackWOOD, tyvm.
CHARACTERS MENTIONED:
Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood from We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Celyn Contrare/Digger from StarCrossed
Anya Balanchine from the Birthright series
Seraphina Dombegh from the Seraphina series
Tula Bane (and Tournour) from the Tin Star series
Sorcha of Sevenwaters/Harrowfield from the Sevenwaters series
The Lass from Sun & Moon, Ice & Snow
Madeleine "Maddy" Lavoie from the Titan Magic seies
Reveka & Dragos from The Princess Curse
September, et al from the Fairyland series
Karou/Madrigal from Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Jasper "Jazz" Dent from the I Hunt Killers series
Eff Rothmer from the Frontier Magic series
Flavia de Luce from the eponymous series
Keturah & Lord Death from Keturah and Lord Death
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video, though these books were sent to me for review consideration purposes. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Affiliate links used where possible.
So consider this part 1 of a series of ALL THE FAVES.
I'd love to hear some of yours in the comments!
ALSO: I said Merricat BlackWELL, but totes meant BlackWOOD, tyvm.
CHARACTERS MENTIONED:
Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood from We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Celyn Contrare/Digger from StarCrossed
Anya Balanchine from the Birthright series
Seraphina Dombegh from the Seraphina series
Tula Bane (and Tournour) from the Tin Star series
Sorcha of Sevenwaters/Harrowfield from the Sevenwaters series
The Lass from Sun & Moon, Ice & Snow
Madeleine "Maddy" Lavoie from the Titan Magic seies
Reveka & Dragos from The Princess Curse
September, et al from the Fairyland series
Karou/Madrigal from Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Jasper "Jazz" Dent from the I Hunt Killers series
Eff Rothmer from the Frontier Magic series
Flavia de Luce from the eponymous series
Keturah & Lord Death from Keturah and Lord Death
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video, though these books were sent to me for review consideration purposes. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Affiliate links used where possible.
FEED YOUR READER | June 26, 2018
It's been a few weeks since I've innundated you with good book deals, and that's frankly because I didn't want to waste your time -- there wasn't much (at least not that came to my attention) that I thought was compelling enough to post about! Come on now, book sellers; where's all them good summer reads deals? PEOPLE HAVE V. IMPORTANT BEACH READING TO DO.
Anywho, there are some deals to be had, and by god, you shall have them!
(Also, heads up, some of the deals from last time are still active, including Sun & Moon, Ice & Snow and Princess of the Midnight Ball, both of which I love and highly recommend!)
You need this in your life. Like, come on. What are you doing not having read this already? Oh, you read it? Why aren't you rereading it right now?
You guys already know I'm having a Sarah Addison Allen moment right now.
As much as I love Jellicoe Road, why haven't I read more by Melina Marchetta?
(Because I'm afraid of having my heart broken. That's why.)
Anywho, there are some deals to be had, and by god, you shall have them!
(Also, heads up, some of the deals from last time are still active, including Sun & Moon, Ice & Snow and Princess of the Midnight Ball, both of which I love and highly recommend!)
All book covers are clickable and lead directly to the deal!
This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to purchase something, this blog will make a small commission from Amazon, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping to support this site!
You need this in your life. Like, come on. What are you doing not having read this already? Oh, you read it? Why aren't you rereading it right now?
WINNER OF THE NEBULA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL • Naomi Novik, author of the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed Temeraire novels, introduces a bold new world rooted in folk stories and legends, as elemental as a Grimm fairy tale.
HUGO AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR | BuzzFeed | Tordotcom | BookPage | Library Journal | Publishers Weekly
“Uprooted is confidently wrought and sympathetically cast. I might even call it bewitching.”—Gregory Maguire, bestselling author of Wicked and Egg & Spoon
“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.
The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.
HUGO AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR | BuzzFeed | Tordotcom | BookPage | Library Journal | Publishers Weekly
“Uprooted is confidently wrought and sympathetically cast. I might even call it bewitching.”—Gregory Maguire, bestselling author of Wicked and Egg & Spoon
“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.
The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.
You guys already know I'm having a Sarah Addison Allen moment right now.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this irresistible novel, Sarah Addison Allen, author of the bestselling debut, Garden Spells, tells the tale of a young woman whose family secrets—and secret passions—are about to change her life forever.
Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night. . . . Until she finds her closet harboring Della Lee Baker, a local waitress who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother. With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey’s narrow existence quickly expands. She even bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them—and who has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush. Soon Josey is living in a world where the color red has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry in their cartons. And that’s just for starters.
Brimming with warmth, wit, and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love—and the enchanting possibilities of every new day.
Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night. . . . Until she finds her closet harboring Della Lee Baker, a local waitress who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother. With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey’s narrow existence quickly expands. She even bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who is hounded by books that inexplicably appear when she needs them—and who has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush. Soon Josey is living in a world where the color red has startling powers, and passion can make eggs fry in their cartons. And that’s just for starters.
Brimming with warmth, wit, and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love—and the enchanting possibilities of every new day.
As much as I love Jellicoe Road, why haven't I read more by Melina Marchetta?(Because I'm afraid of having my heart broken. That's why.)
In the wake of a devastating bombing, a father risks everything to find out who was responsible.
When Bish Ortley, a recently suspended cop, receives word that a bus carrying his daughter has been bombed, he rushes to be by her side. A suspect has already been named--a 17-year-old girl who has since disappeared from the scene.
The press has now revealed that she is the youngest member of one of London's most notorious families. Years earlier, they were implicated in an attack that left dozens dead. Has the girl decided to follow in their footsteps?
To find her, Bish must earn the trust of her friends and family, including her infamous mother, now serving a life sentence in prison. But even as he delves into the deadly bus attack that claimed five lives, the ghosts of older crimes become impossible to ignore.
A gripping fusion of literary suspense and family drama, TELL THE TRUTH, SHAME THE DEVIL is a fast-paced puzzle of a novel that will keep readers feverishly turning pages.
When Bish Ortley, a recently suspended cop, receives word that a bus carrying his daughter has been bombed, he rushes to be by her side. A suspect has already been named--a 17-year-old girl who has since disappeared from the scene.
The press has now revealed that she is the youngest member of one of London's most notorious families. Years earlier, they were implicated in an attack that left dozens dead. Has the girl decided to follow in their footsteps?
To find her, Bish must earn the trust of her friends and family, including her infamous mother, now serving a life sentence in prison. But even as he delves into the deadly bus attack that claimed five lives, the ghosts of older crimes become impossible to ignore.
A gripping fusion of literary suspense and family drama, TELL THE TRUTH, SHAME THE DEVIL is a fast-paced puzzle of a novel that will keep readers feverishly turning pages.
Friday, June 22, 2018
Favorite Books of 2018 (so far) | Book Chat
Lort. Bear with me on the bird-noise level in this video... it does go away, I promise! Also, if you ended up with "The Real Slim Shady" in your head... you're welcome?
ANYWAY, here's an overview of some books that I've absolutely LOVED this year, and are on track to make my Best of 2018 list!
I'd love to hear some of yours in the comments!
THE BOOKS:
#6: The Last Namsara | review
#5: Bring Me Their Hearts | review
#4: The Price Guide to the Occult | review
#3: Garden Spells | review coming soon!
#2: Tess of the Road | review
#1: Spinning Silver | review coming after the release!
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video, though a few of these books were sent to me for review consideration purposes. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Affiliate links used where possible.
ANYWAY, here's an overview of some books that I've absolutely LOVED this year, and are on track to make my Best of 2018 list!
I'd love to hear some of yours in the comments!
#6: The Last Namsara | review
#5: Bring Me Their Hearts | review
#4: The Price Guide to the Occult | review
#3: Garden Spells | review coming soon!
#2: Tess of the Road | review
#1: Spinning Silver | review coming after the release!
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video, though a few of these books were sent to me for review consideration purposes. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Affiliate links used where possible.
Thursday, June 21, 2018
FREE Audibooks: Openly Straight & Doctor Cerberus!Yo
You guys know the drill!
It's time for a fresh set of audiobooks to drop in the AudiobookSync summer program!
This week, to celebrate Pride Month, the titles are:
Openly Straight
by Bill Konigsberg
Read by Pete Cross
Rafe is a normal teenager from Colorado. He's been out since 8th grade, accepted by his peers & championed by his progressive parents. And while that's important, all Rafe really wants is to be a regular guy. To have his sexuality be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time. So when Rafe transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret -- not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate breaking down and realizes his own labels aren't well-concealed. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben...who doesn't even know that love is possible.
Doctor Cerberus
by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Read by Steven Culp, Pamela Gray, Simon Helberg, Jamison Jones, Jarrett Sleeper
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's coming-of-age, coming-out cocktail with a twist of terror. Thirteen-year-old Franklin Robertson is trying to survive adolescence. His parents don't understand him, his brother torments him, he has no friends, and he's more interested in the high school quarterback than any girl. The one bright spot in his life is the glow of the black-and-white TV in his parents' basement. Here, he worships at the altar of the Saturday Night Horror Movie, hosted by the eerie Dr. Cerberus. Before long, Franklin is convinced that only by going on the show will his life be redeemed—by Dr. Cerberus himself! An L.A. Theatre Works full cast performance featuring: Simon Helberg as Franklin Robertson Jamison Jones as Doctor Cerberus Steven Culp as Lawrence Robertson Pamela J. Gray as Lydia Robertson Jarrett Sleeper as Rodney Robertson Original music by Steven Cahill. Directed by Bart DeLorenzo. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles in July of 2010. Doctor Ceberus is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the modern world.
Friday, June 15, 2018
RISEN by Cole Gibsen | review
LOL THIS BOOK.
But also, why can't I stop reading ridiculous books lately? 2018 has been an... odd year. For a number of reasons...
I'M NOT SAYING DON'T READ THIS.
I'm saying, if you read it, I really want to know your thoughts!
Also, I'm sure a lot of young readers will love this. Probably.
Maybe.
about RISEN by Cole Gibsen
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video, though this book was sent to me for review consideration purposes. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Affiliate links used where possible.
But also, why can't I stop reading ridiculous books lately? 2018 has been an... odd year. For a number of reasons...
I'M NOT SAYING DON'T READ THIS.
I'm saying, if you read it, I really want to know your thoughts!
Also, I'm sure a lot of young readers will love this. Probably.
Maybe.
Fans of Vampire Diaries and Twilight will be thirsting for this latest vampire addiction…
My aunt has been kidnapped by vampires, and it’s up to me to save her. Only…I had no idea vampires existed. None. Nada. I’m more of a reader than a fighter, and even though I’d been wishing to escape my boring existence in the middle of nowhere, I’d give anything to have it back now if it meant my aunt was safe.
Then there’s the vampire Sebastian, who seems slightly nicer than most of the bloodsuckers I’ve run into so far. Yes, he’s the hottest being I’ve ever come across, but there’s no way I can trust him. He swears he’s helping me get answers, but there’s more to his story. Now I’m a key pawn in a raging vampire war, and I need to pick the right ally.
But my chances of surviving this war are slim at best, when the side I choose might be the one that wants me dead the most.
My aunt has been kidnapped by vampires, and it’s up to me to save her. Only…I had no idea vampires existed. None. Nada. I’m more of a reader than a fighter, and even though I’d been wishing to escape my boring existence in the middle of nowhere, I’d give anything to have it back now if it meant my aunt was safe.
Then there’s the vampire Sebastian, who seems slightly nicer than most of the bloodsuckers I’ve run into so far. Yes, he’s the hottest being I’ve ever come across, but there’s no way I can trust him. He swears he’s helping me get answers, but there’s more to his story. Now I’m a key pawn in a raging vampire war, and I need to pick the right ally.
But my chances of surviving this war are slim at best, when the side I choose might be the one that wants me dead the most.
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video, though this book was sent to me for review consideration purposes. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Affiliate links used where possible.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
FREE Audiobooks: My Name is Not Friday & Come August, Come Freedom!
It's Thursday!
For a few more weeks, at least, that means free audiobooks!
This week's titles are:
MY NAME IS NOT FRIDAY
by Jon Walter
Narrated by Dion Graham
A gorgeously written account of a freeborn black boy sold into slavery during the Civil War; think 12 Years a Slave for young adults.
Well-mannered Samuel and his mischievous younger brother, Joshua, are free black boys living in an orphanage during the end of the Civil War. Samuel takes the blame for Joshua's latest prank, and the consequence is worse than he could ever imagine. He's taken from the orphanage to the South, given a new name - Friday - and sold into slavery. What follows is a heartbreaking but hopeful account of Samuel's journey from freedom to captivity and back again.
COME AUGUST, COME FREEDOM
by Gigi Amateau
Narrated by J. D. Jackson
For a few more weeks, at least, that means free audiobooks!
This week's titles are:
MY NAME IS NOT FRIDAY
by Jon Walter
Narrated by Dion Graham
A gorgeously written account of a freeborn black boy sold into slavery during the Civil War; think 12 Years a Slave for young adults.
Well-mannered Samuel and his mischievous younger brother, Joshua, are free black boys living in an orphanage during the end of the Civil War. Samuel takes the blame for Joshua's latest prank, and the consequence is worse than he could ever imagine. He's taken from the orphanage to the South, given a new name - Friday - and sold into slavery. What follows is a heartbreaking but hopeful account of Samuel's journey from freedom to captivity and back again.
COME AUGUST, COME FREEDOM
by Gigi Amateau
Narrated by J. D. Jackson
Born a slave in 1776, Gabriel grows up capable and literate only to be taken from his mother and sent to the capital city as a blacksmith's apprentice. There in the forge, a meeting point for many travelers and news bearers, his work awakens him to the sparks of resistance that are igniting into rebellion around the globe. When he is unable to both defend the love of his life and earn the money to buy her freedom, and with the news of Toussaint's successful rebellion against Haiti's slave masters ringing in his ears, Gabriel makes a decision: freedom for just his own family would not be enough.
Using the forge to turn pitchforks into swords and his eloquence to turn dreams into rallying cries, Gabriel plots a rebellion involving thousands of slaves, free blacks, poor whites, and Native Americans. To those excluded from the promise of the Revolution, Gabriel intends to bring liberty.
Interwoven with authentic original documents, this poignant, illuminating novel about a major figure in African-American history gives a personal face to a remarkable moment in our past that is little known but should be long remembered.
These titles are available through Wednesday, so make sure to snag them while you can!
Disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
POLL: #AustenInAugust Group Read!
As I mentioned in yesterday's Austen in August 2018 invite post, this year we're branching out for our Austen group read, and I need your help picking which book we should go with!
Below the poll, you'll find three choices that each bring something different to the table.
Read through the options and decide which is the best fit for this year's Austen in August, and which you'd most like to join in a discussion of!
ABOUT THE BOOKS:
THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB by Karen Joy Fowler
This one's an obvious choice, since a "Jane Austen book club" is kinda what we'll be this summer.
Bonus: if we read this, the film adaptation can be this year's movie night.
SANDITON by Jane Austen and "Another Lady" (aka Marie Dobbs)
Though slightly harder to find than the other two (though it is available), this completion of Austen's unfinished novel is one of my personal favorites, and is the book that convinced me to keep going with JAFF (Jane Austen fan fiction)... and look where we are now.
LONGBOURN by Jo Baker
This one's been on my shelves for awhile, and gives us a different look at Pride & Prejudice, so maybe this is the way to go?
Below the poll, you'll find three choices that each bring something different to the table.
Read through the options and decide which is the best fit for this year's Austen in August, and which you'd most like to join in a discussion of!
THIS SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED!
THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB by Karen Joy Fowler
This one's an obvious choice, since a "Jane Austen book club" is kinda what we'll be this summer.
Bonus: if we read this, the film adaptation can be this year's movie night.
A sublime comedy of contemporary manners, this is the novel Jane Austen might well have written had she lived in twenty-first- century California.
Nothing ever moves in a straight line in Karen Joy Fowler's fiction, and in her latest, the complex dance of modern love has never been so devious or so much fun.
Six Californians join to discuss Jane Austen's novels. Over the six months they meet, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens. With her finely sighted eye for the frailties of human behavior and her finely tuned ear for the absurdities of social intercourse, Fowler has never been wittier nor her characters more appealing. The result is a delicious dissection of modern relationships.
Dedicated Austenites will delight in unearthing the echoes of Austen that run through the novel, but most readers will simply enjoy the vision and voice that, despite two centuries of separation, unite two great writers of brilliant social comedy.
Nothing ever moves in a straight line in Karen Joy Fowler's fiction, and in her latest, the complex dance of modern love has never been so devious or so much fun.
Six Californians join to discuss Jane Austen's novels. Over the six months they meet, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens. With her finely sighted eye for the frailties of human behavior and her finely tuned ear for the absurdities of social intercourse, Fowler has never been wittier nor her characters more appealing. The result is a delicious dissection of modern relationships.
Dedicated Austenites will delight in unearthing the echoes of Austen that run through the novel, but most readers will simply enjoy the vision and voice that, despite two centuries of separation, unite two great writers of brilliant social comedy.
SANDITON by Jane Austen and "Another Lady" (aka Marie Dobbs)
Though slightly harder to find than the other two (though it is available), this completion of Austen's unfinished novel is one of my personal favorites, and is the book that convinced me to keep going with JAFF (Jane Austen fan fiction)... and look where we are now.
Sanditon was Jane Austen's last novel, bequeathed unfinished to her niece. This is its completion, praised for its delicacy, wit and discretion.
When Charlotte Heywood, eldest daughter of a family of fourteen, is invited to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Parker of Sanditon, she accepts with alacrity, intrigued to visit the once quiet town being promoted by Mr. Parker as the newly fashionable resort for sea-bathing.
As a guest of the Parkers, Charlotte is introduced to the full range of Sanditon polite society, from Lady Denham to her impoverished ward Clara and from the feckless Sidney Parker to his hypochondriac sisters. A heroine whose clear-sighted common sense is often at war with romance, she cannot help observing around her both folly and romance in many guises, but can she herself resist the attractions of the heart?
When Charlotte Heywood, eldest daughter of a family of fourteen, is invited to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Parker of Sanditon, she accepts with alacrity, intrigued to visit the once quiet town being promoted by Mr. Parker as the newly fashionable resort for sea-bathing.
As a guest of the Parkers, Charlotte is introduced to the full range of Sanditon polite society, from Lady Denham to her impoverished ward Clara and from the feckless Sidney Parker to his hypochondriac sisters. A heroine whose clear-sighted common sense is often at war with romance, she cannot help observing around her both folly and romance in many guises, but can she herself resist the attractions of the heart?
LONGBOURN by Jo Baker
This one's been on my shelves for awhile, and gives us a different look at Pride & Prejudice, so maybe this is the way to go?
• Pride and Prejudice was only half the story •
If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.
In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.
Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Jane Austen’s classic—into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starry-eyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars—and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world that is wholly her own.
If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.
In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.
Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Jane Austen’s classic—into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starry-eyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars—and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world that is wholly her own.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
AUSTEN IN AUGUST 2018 INVITATION
Are you guys over Jane Austen?
I mean, I'll never be over my dear Jane, but if you are sick of Austen in August, specifically, lemme know. And IF YOU ARE NOT: well, this post is for you...
Most of you know the drill by now, but for those who don't or need a refresher:
What the Eff is AIA?
The Deets:
That about covers it.
So if you're interested in being a featured guest right here on this blog (or on my vlog!),fill out the form below! It'll remain open for the next few weeks, after which you can email me directly if you're still interested.
I LOVE seeing what everyone comes up with every year, and getting to hear from new voices, so if you've been on the fence and too shy in the past, I'd love to feature you this year! I LOVE pulling in new Janeites, you have NO IDEA.
(I also love catching up with old Janeites, so remember: all are welcome!)
I mean, I'll never be over my dear Jane, but if you are sick of Austen in August, specifically, lemme know. And IF YOU ARE NOT: well, this post is for you...
Most of you know the drill by now, but for those who don't or need a refresher:
What the Eff is AIA?
The Deets:
- Started in the summer of 2010 in a different month and with a different name (but still alliterative, because I'm me), Austen in August is a celebration of all things Jane Austen, featuring reviews, discussions, vlogs, giveaways, interviews and more! WE'RE COMING UP ON A DECADE-STRONG, YOU GUYS! [See years one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight, my god -- we've been doing this for so long!] You can stop by any time during these 2 weeks and get lost in Austen. It's all very austentatious. . . alright, I'll stop now.
- In the past, I've tried to cram lots and lots of posts into a short time frame, but this year, I'm going to try to be a bit more leisurely and see how that works out for all of us — which means, AIA will run for the entire month of August, with (theoretically) daily posts! You can just read and comment on the daily posts, if you'd like, but as always, I will also be welcoming guest posts. Wanna review or giveaway your favorite adaptation? Share your Top 5 MOJ (Moments of Jane)? I'd love to host your awesome post!
Fill out the form belowemail me with what you'd like to do and I'll reserve a spot for you! - Are you an Austenite author who wants to be involved? EMAIL ME! I'd love to have you involved!
- Once again I will be hosting an Austen Read Along to coincide with the event. We've worked our way through the core of Austen's works, so I thought we'd start in on adaptations and continuations.
There's a poll going up tomorrow on which book will be read this year -- please weigh in!
That about covers it.
So if you're interested in being a featured guest right here on this blog (or on my vlog!),
I LOVE seeing what everyone comes up with every year, and getting to hear from new voices, so if you've been on the fence and too shy in the past, I'd love to feature you this year! I LOVE pulling in new Janeites, you have NO IDEA.
(I also love catching up with old Janeites, so remember: all are welcome!)
Monday, June 11, 2018
TELL ME NO LIES by Adele Griffin GIVEAWAY & First Impressions | blog tour
Hello! Today I'm sharing an excerpt of Adele Griffin's TELL ME NO LIES (in stores June 12, from Algonquin), as well as my initial thoughts on this 80s-set companion novel to Be True to Me. Make sure to read all the way to the end to enter to win a copy!
**** GIVEAWAY ****
To enter to win a copy of your own, fill out the rafflecopter below. US ONLY!
Best of luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adele Griffin is the highly acclaimed author of almost thirty books for Young Adult and middle grade readers. Her works include the National Book Award Finalists Sons of Liberty and Where I Want toBe, as well as the popular Oodlethunks series for younger readers. The Un-finished Life of Addison Stone was a YALSA Best Book of 2015, an Amazon Best YABook of the Year, a Booklist Top Ten Arts Books for Youth, a Junior Library Guild selection, a Romantic Times Finalist for Book of the Year, and a School Library Journal Top Fiction pick. Her latest novel Tell MeNo Liesis publishing in June 2018 with Algonquin Books. Adele serves on the Board of Directors of the MacDowell Colony, and ison the advi-sory board of 826NYC. She lives with her husband, Erich, their two young children, and their dog, Edith, in Brooklyn, New York.
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video, though this book was sent to me for a blog tour, for the purposes of sharing an excerpt & first impressions with you. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Affiliate links used where possible.
Excerpt copyright Adele Griffin and Alngonquin Books, and subject to change on publication, as I am reading from an unfinished copy.
A riveting novel about secrecy, complicated friendships, and heartbreak, set against the iconic backdrop of the late 1980s.
Lizzy Swift is a senior in high school, emerging from her nerd chrysalis to become a social butterfly. She starts dating popular Matt Ashley, whom she’s been pining for since freshman year. She’s delighted when rebellious new girl Claire Reynolds introduces her to Center City Philadelphia—clubs, street life, and the eye-opening art scene. As Lizzy begins to question her own long-held dreams, the changes in her life mirror the upheaval of a decade marked by a drug epidemic and the AIDS crisis. She’s no longer sure of her Ivy League ambition. While she has a special connection with Matt, something’s missing. And Claire carries around a mysterious sadness and talks about a breakup so bad she changed schools—but she won’t tell the whole story. Lizzy wants Claire to confide in her, even as she keeps her own embarrassing secrets.
Before too long, the heady thrill of her new life starts to crumble under insecurities and deceptions. When the truth emerges from the wreckage, will it be too late for Lizzy, Claire, and Matt to save their love and friendships?
Lizzy Swift is a senior in high school, emerging from her nerd chrysalis to become a social butterfly. She starts dating popular Matt Ashley, whom she’s been pining for since freshman year. She’s delighted when rebellious new girl Claire Reynolds introduces her to Center City Philadelphia—clubs, street life, and the eye-opening art scene. As Lizzy begins to question her own long-held dreams, the changes in her life mirror the upheaval of a decade marked by a drug epidemic and the AIDS crisis. She’s no longer sure of her Ivy League ambition. While she has a special connection with Matt, something’s missing. And Claire carries around a mysterious sadness and talks about a breakup so bad she changed schools—but she won’t tell the whole story. Lizzy wants Claire to confide in her, even as she keeps her own embarrassing secrets.
Before too long, the heady thrill of her new life starts to crumble under insecurities and deceptions. When the truth emerges from the wreckage, will it be too late for Lizzy, Claire, and Matt to save their love and friendships?
BUY IT HERE:
**** GIVEAWAY ****
Best of luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Adele Griffin is the highly acclaimed author of almost thirty books for Young Adult and middle grade readers. Her works include the National Book Award Finalists Sons of Liberty and Where I Want toBe, as well as the popular Oodlethunks series for younger readers. The Un-finished Life of Addison Stone was a YALSA Best Book of 2015, an Amazon Best YABook of the Year, a Booklist Top Ten Arts Books for Youth, a Junior Library Guild selection, a Romantic Times Finalist for Book of the Year, and a School Library Journal Top Fiction pick. Her latest novel Tell MeNo Liesis publishing in June 2018 with Algonquin Books. Adele serves on the Board of Directors of the MacDowell Colony, and ison the advi-sory board of 826NYC. She lives with her husband, Erich, their two young children, and their dog, Edith, in Brooklyn, New York.
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video, though this book was sent to me for a blog tour, for the purposes of sharing an excerpt & first impressions with you. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Affiliate links used where possible.
This tour was hosted by the Fantastic Flying Book Club. You can check out all of the other stops on the tour here.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Cover Love: The Accident Season
Welp.
We kinda took a little Cover Love hiatus there, didn't we? I know everyone was excited for this series (I am, too!), and was all ready to gush over amazing cover designs (same!), so v. sorry that it's been a few weeks (*ahem* a month and a half...) since we've delved into the pretty, pretty covers.
To make it up to you, today's post is a two-fer!
I've gushed plenty in the past about this book, but I am equally enamored of its covers -- both of them. It's rare that I love a cover re-do as much as the original (or vice versa, if the original sucked...), but I give you:
Both covers capture something about the style and tone of the book, and both are covers that would entice me to reach for a book on the shelves.
How 'bout for you? Do they draw you in? Do you have a preference? We can make this a miniture Friday Face Off (on a Sunday, but whatev), if you'd like -- let me know your thoughts in the comments!
about THE ACCIDENT SEASON by Moira Fowley-Doyle
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links
We kinda took a little Cover Love hiatus there, didn't we? I know everyone was excited for this series (I am, too!), and was all ready to gush over amazing cover designs (same!), so v. sorry that it's been a few weeks (*ahem* a month and a half...) since we've delved into the pretty, pretty covers.
To make it up to you, today's post is a two-fer!
I've gushed plenty in the past about this book, but I am equally enamored of its covers -- both of them. It's rare that I love a cover re-do as much as the original (or vice versa, if the original sucked...), but I give you:
Both covers capture something about the style and tone of the book, and both are covers that would entice me to reach for a book on the shelves.
How 'bout for you? Do they draw you in? Do you have a preference? We can make this a miniture Friday Face Off (on a Sunday, but whatev), if you'd like -- let me know your thoughts in the comments!
about THE ACCIDENT SEASON by Moira Fowley-Doyle
Every October Cara and her family become inexplicably and unavoidably accident-prone. Some years it's bad, like the season when her father died, and some years it's just a lot of cuts and scrapes. This accident season—when Cara, her ex-stepbrother, Sam, and her best friend, Bea, are 17—is going to be a bad one. But not for the reasons they think.
Cara is about to learn that not all the scars left by the accident season are physical: There's a long-hidden family secret underneath the bumps and bruises. This is the year Cara will finally fall desperately in love, when she'll start discovering the painful truth about the adults in her life, and when she'll uncover the dark origins of the accident season—whether she's ready or not.
Cara is about to learn that not all the scars left by the accident season are physical: There's a long-hidden family secret underneath the bumps and bruises. This is the year Cara will finally fall desperately in love, when she'll start discovering the painful truth about the adults in her life, and when she'll uncover the dark origins of the accident season—whether she's ready or not.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links
Saturday, June 9, 2018
AUDIOBOOK FREEBIES REVIEWED: A Study in Charlotte, Saving Montgomery Sole & Baker's Magic!
Have you guys been keeping up with the 2018 AudiobookSync summer titles? I've certainly been trying, and here's what I thought of what I've listened to so far!
What the hell I'm talking about
Also, ignore what I said about A Study in Charlotte having permission from SACD's estate, because I don't know if that's true; I think I was combining it in my head with another book, and the Holmes novels are out of copyright now, so fair game.
THE BOOKS:
A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE
Brittany Cavallaro (Author), Graham Halstead (Narrator)
The first book in a witty, suspenseful new trilogy about a brilliant new crime-solving duo: the teen descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. This clever detective yarn will appeal to fans of Maureen Johnson and Ally Carter.
Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers were one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She's inherited Sherlock's volatility and some of his vices - and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she's not looking for friends.
But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting, and nowhere is safe - and the only people they can trust are each other.
SAVING MONTGOMERY SOLE
Mariko Tamaki (Author), Rebecca Lowman (Narrator)
A beautiful, offbeat novel from Mariko Tamaki, cocreator of the best-selling Printz Honor and Caldecott Honor Book This One Summer.
Montgomery Sole is a square peg in a small town, a girl with two moms forced to go to a school full of homophobes and people who don't even know what irony is. Her saving grace: her two best friends, Thomas and Naoki. Monty's obsessed with paranormal mysteries like ESP, astrology, superpowers, and the healing powers of frozen yogurt, but when strange things actually start happening to Monty, she realizes that the greatest mystery of all is herself.
Thoughtful, funny, and honest, this book will make you want to laugh and cry over a big cup of frozen yogurt with extra toppings and your best friends at your side.
BAKER'S MAGIC by Diane Zahler
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert, Michael Crouch, and a full cast
A full cast works together seamlessly in this charming magical adventure. As the story’s narrator, Tavia Gilbert is crisply engaged, and she’s spirited as young Bee, the baker’s apprentice. Kenneth Cavett, with his rich and resonant voice, is a standout as kindly baker Master Bouts, and Robin Miles is a hoot as pirate captain Zafira Zay. The care in the production is evident—the rest of the cast adds vocal personality to characters both large and small, and mood-appropriate snippets of music begin and end each chapter, helping to sweep listeners along. Scenes in the bakery are rendered with as much attention to detail as those on the high seas or in the mage’s castle—beware of listening while hungry. J.M.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
What the hell I'm talking about
Also, ignore what I said about A Study in Charlotte having permission from SACD's estate, because I don't know if that's true; I think I was combining it in my head with another book, and the Holmes novels are out of copyright now, so fair game.
THE BOOKS:
A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE
Brittany Cavallaro (Author), Graham Halstead (Narrator)
The first book in a witty, suspenseful new trilogy about a brilliant new crime-solving duo: the teen descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. This clever detective yarn will appeal to fans of Maureen Johnson and Ally Carter.
Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers were one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She's inherited Sherlock's volatility and some of his vices - and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she's not looking for friends.
But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting, and nowhere is safe - and the only people they can trust are each other.
SAVING MONTGOMERY SOLE
Mariko Tamaki (Author), Rebecca Lowman (Narrator)
A beautiful, offbeat novel from Mariko Tamaki, cocreator of the best-selling Printz Honor and Caldecott Honor Book This One Summer.
Montgomery Sole is a square peg in a small town, a girl with two moms forced to go to a school full of homophobes and people who don't even know what irony is. Her saving grace: her two best friends, Thomas and Naoki. Monty's obsessed with paranormal mysteries like ESP, astrology, superpowers, and the healing powers of frozen yogurt, but when strange things actually start happening to Monty, she realizes that the greatest mystery of all is herself.
Thoughtful, funny, and honest, this book will make you want to laugh and cry over a big cup of frozen yogurt with extra toppings and your best friends at your side.
BAKER'S MAGIC by Diane Zahler
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert, Michael Crouch, and a full cast
A full cast works together seamlessly in this charming magical adventure. As the story’s narrator, Tavia Gilbert is crisply engaged, and she’s spirited as young Bee, the baker’s apprentice. Kenneth Cavett, with his rich and resonant voice, is a standout as kindly baker Master Bouts, and Robin Miles is a hoot as pirate captain Zafira Zay. The care in the production is evident—the rest of the cast adds vocal personality to characters both large and small, and mood-appropriate snippets of music begin and end each chapter, helping to sweep listeners along. Scenes in the bakery are rendered with as much attention to detail as those on the high seas or in the mage’s castle—beware of listening while hungry. J.M.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Friday, June 8, 2018
Backlist Love (5)
I've got a trio of FANTASTIC (and fantastical) middle grade titles for you today -- I love them ALL.
Reviews for each are linked within the video!
Would you like to see backlist love titles on a specific genre or theme? Let me know in the comments!
SAVVY by Ingrid Law
THE PRINCESS CURSE by Merrie Haskell
THE REAL BOY by Anne Ursu
Reviews for each are linked within the video!
Would you like to see backlist love titles on a specific genre or theme? Let me know in the comments!
THE BOOKS:
A vibrant new voice . . . a modern classic.
For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a “savvy”—a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it’s the eve of Mibs’s big day.
As if waiting weren’t hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs’s birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman’s bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up—and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.
For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a “savvy”—a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it’s the eve of Mibs’s big day.
As if waiting weren’t hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs’s birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman’s bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up—and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.
THE PRINCESS CURSE by Merrie Haskell
Merrie Haskell’s middle-grade fantasy novel Princess Curse is an imaginative retelling of the fairy tales The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Beauty and the Beast.
In the fifteenth-century kingdom of Sylvania, the prince offers a fabulous reward to anyone who cures the curse that forces the princesses to spend each night dancing to the point of exhaustion. Everyone who tries disappears or falls into an enchanted sleep.
Thirteen-year-old Reveka, a smart, courageous herbalist’s apprentice, decides to attempt to break the curse despite the danger. Unravelling the mystery behind the curse leads Reveka to the Underworld, and to save the princesses, Reveka will have to risk her soul.
Princess Curse combines magic, suspense, humor, and adventure into a story perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine.
In the fifteenth-century kingdom of Sylvania, the prince offers a fabulous reward to anyone who cures the curse that forces the princesses to spend each night dancing to the point of exhaustion. Everyone who tries disappears or falls into an enchanted sleep.
Thirteen-year-old Reveka, a smart, courageous herbalist’s apprentice, decides to attempt to break the curse despite the danger. Unravelling the mystery behind the curse leads Reveka to the Underworld, and to save the princesses, Reveka will have to risk her soul.
Princess Curse combines magic, suspense, humor, and adventure into a story perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine.
THE REAL BOY by Anne Ursu
National Book Award Longlist * Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Book of the Year
The Real Boy, Anne Ursu's follow-up to her widely acclaimed and beloved middle grade fantasy Breadcrumbs, is a spellbinding tale of the power we all wield, great and small.
On an island on the edge of an immense sea there is a city, a forest, and a boy named Oscar. Oscar is a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the village, and spends his days in a small room in the dark cellar of his master's shop grinding herbs and dreaming of the wizards who once lived on the island generations ago. Oscar's world is small, but he likes it that way. The real world is vast, strange, and unpredictable. And Oscar does not quite fit in it.
But now that world is changing. Children in the city are falling ill, and something sinister lurks in the forest. Oscar has long been content to stay in his small room in the cellar, comforted in the knowledge that the magic that flows from the forest will keep his island safe. Now even magic may not be enough to save it.
The Real Boy, Anne Ursu's follow-up to her widely acclaimed and beloved middle grade fantasy Breadcrumbs, is a spellbinding tale of the power we all wield, great and small.
On an island on the edge of an immense sea there is a city, a forest, and a boy named Oscar. Oscar is a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the village, and spends his days in a small room in the dark cellar of his master's shop grinding herbs and dreaming of the wizards who once lived on the island generations ago. Oscar's world is small, but he likes it that way. The real world is vast, strange, and unpredictable. And Oscar does not quite fit in it.
But now that world is changing. Children in the city are falling ill, and something sinister lurks in the forest. Oscar has long been content to stay in his small room in the cellar, comforted in the knowledge that the magic that flows from the forest will keep his island safe. Now even magic may not be enough to save it.
Thursday, June 7, 2018
FREE Audiobooks: Everland & The Just Men of Cordova
Happy Thursday!
Weekly reminder that there are FREE AUDIOBOOKS to be had in the world, so don't forget to grab them!
This week's titles are:
EVERLAND by Wendy Spinale
Narrated by Fiona Hardingham & Steve West
Forget the story of Peter Pan you know. Because in Everland, the only way to grow up is to survive.
London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived are children, among them Gwen Darling and her siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the ruthless Marauders - the German army led by Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer.
Unsure if the virus has spread past England's borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook hunts for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the survivors. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until the day they grab Joanna.
As Gwen sets out to save her, she meets a mysterious boy named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and fierce sharpshooter Bella, who have all been living in a city hidden underground. But in a place where help has a steep price and every promise is bound by blood, it will cost Gwen. And are she, Pete, the Lost Boys, and Bella enough to outsmart Captain Hook?
THE JUST MEN OF CORDOVA by Edgar Wallace
Narrated by Bill Homewood
In his Four Just Men series, Edgar Wallace comes up with something different: the 'villains' are not necessarily bad people, and the pursuers of justice, the Four Just Men, as they call themselves, are acting outside the law. They argue that their actions are for the public good, and dispassionately eke the ultimate revenge - death - on their victims. In their turn, the Four Just Men are pursued by the police, but somehow remain our heroes.
In The Just Men of Cordova, written in 1917, the Four move into the treacherous, aristocratic world of gambling, horse-racing and high finance. It seems that police services, even governments, have no power to control this world, where blackmail, poison and murder are commonplace. The Four, working outside the law, take it upon themselves to clean things up in their own way.
Weekly reminder that there are FREE AUDIOBOOKS to be had in the world, so don't forget to grab them!
This week's titles are:
EVERLAND by Wendy Spinale
Narrated by Fiona Hardingham & Steve West
Forget the story of Peter Pan you know. Because in Everland, the only way to grow up is to survive.
London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived are children, among them Gwen Darling and her siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the ruthless Marauders - the German army led by Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer.
Unsure if the virus has spread past England's borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook hunts for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the survivors. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until the day they grab Joanna.
As Gwen sets out to save her, she meets a mysterious boy named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and fierce sharpshooter Bella, who have all been living in a city hidden underground. But in a place where help has a steep price and every promise is bound by blood, it will cost Gwen. And are she, Pete, the Lost Boys, and Bella enough to outsmart Captain Hook?
THE JUST MEN OF CORDOVA by Edgar Wallace
Narrated by Bill Homewood
In his Four Just Men series, Edgar Wallace comes up with something different: the 'villains' are not necessarily bad people, and the pursuers of justice, the Four Just Men, as they call themselves, are acting outside the law. They argue that their actions are for the public good, and dispassionately eke the ultimate revenge - death - on their victims. In their turn, the Four Just Men are pursued by the police, but somehow remain our heroes.
In The Just Men of Cordova, written in 1917, the Four move into the treacherous, aristocratic world of gambling, horse-racing and high finance. It seems that police services, even governments, have no power to control this world, where blackmail, poison and murder are commonplace. The Four, working outside the law, take it upon themselves to clean things up in their own way.
Have you listened to or read either of these? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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