Announcements!





Thursday, September 30, 2010

Link a Contest Thursday




Rules (or at least STRONG suggestions):
1. Name the item being given away (instead of the blog name)
2. Give the end date in () after the name
3. Make sure to link DIRECTLY to that contest post - if you don't know how to do this - just click on the title of the contest blog and it will give a direct URL you can use.
4. If you want to post a contest you've found, make sure it isn't already posted.



Read more...

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The House of Dead Maids Blog Tour + Giveaway



Today, I'm happy to be a part of The House of Dead Maids blog tour. I will review the novel, you will read a bit about the author's research for the setting of the novel and there is a giveaway at the end! :) Enjoy!

Author: Clare B. Dunkle
Publication Date: September 14, 2010
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy/Horror
Copy provided by: Blue Slip Media
Summary (via Goodreads):

Young Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be nursemaid to a foundling boy. He is a savage little creature, but the Yorkshire moors harbor far worse, as Tabby soon discovers. Why do scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House with a jealous devotion that extends beyond the grave?

As Tabby struggles to escape the evil forces rising out of the land, she watches her young charge choose a different path. Long before he reaches the old farmhouse of Wuthering Heights, the boy who will become Heathcliff has doomed himself and any who try to befriend him.

Why I read this: If you look at that cover, you may get seriously spooked out. I haven't read a spooky book in so long and couldn't resist another novel by the lovely Clare B. Dunkle.

Plot: Wow. Let's just say that this book will definitely keep you up at night and I highly suggest to read it in daylight. Dunkle mixes a meld of classic writing with such horror and suspense, that you will jump if anyone interrupts you while reading (I certainly did). I actually have not read Wuthering Heights (bad me) but I'm definitely intrigued to learn just what the little boy in the book becomes as the character Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. I think the author did a fantastic job of staying true to the classic voice in the novel while still chilling you to your bones. Definitely a novel to pick up when you need a good, intriguing scare.

Characters: Tabby is a god-stricken young girl who tries her best to make the most of her situation. She cares for her young charge even if he sometimes is rather impossible and terribly cruel for a child his age. She is more clever than some of the characters I have been reading lately and it was quite a nice break to see someone so in depth and so classically written.

Relatability: I think those in love with classic novels or spooky stories will really enjoy this novel. Also, those who have read Wuthering Heights will definitely be making connections I couldn't and I really do want to find a copy of that book now.. pronto. :)

Cover Commentary: Gives me goosebumps and I really can't look at it for too long or I get a wee bit freaked out.

Rating: 5/5 Roses


Buy it on Amazon*
Find it on Goodreads



*If you buy this book on Amazon through the link above, I will receive a small portion of the sales.




Clare Dunkle on Researching the Setting for her novel, The House of Dead Maids:

I first read Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights in childhood, and my oldest memories of it are visual: the image of Catherine’s little hand dragged against the broken glass of the casement window and scenes of the farmhouse’s great room, with half-savage hunting dogs lurking in the corners. I knew that a companion story to that classic would need a setting with as much stern presence and brooding atmosphere as the original, and I wanted all the details to be accurate.

My family was fortunate enough to be living in Europe when I wrote the book, so we took a trip to Yorkshire at the same time of year as in the setting of The House of Dead Maids. The weather cooperated beautifully: first, two days of chilly rain and clouds so dark that we needed our headlights on in the daytime; then, three days of brilliant sunshine. We were able to tour the moors under all kinds of weather and see everything Tabby would have seen.

I wanted The House of Dead Maids to sound like a Victorian novel. That meant I needed to describe old things in old words, so I haunted antique auction websites and pored over the informational guides I had purchased in England. To catch the right words, I studied the vocabulary of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, which I had downloaded in keyword-searchable form, and I frequently consulted the usage examples in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Seldom House is not a nice place, and its masters have not been nice people. I didn’t want Tabby to find a single comforting thing there. That’s why the carved heads on her clothes press are roaring and the birds on her beaded mirror are fighting. That’s why grotesque old paintings and exhibits of weaponry predominate.

In order to set up echoes with the text of Wuthering Heights, I paid special attention to its literary motifs (the recurring objects, concepts, or structures in a work of literature). The image of the “plundered nest” is important in Wuthering Heights; among other things, it symbolizes the loss of childish innocence and joy. So I put such a “nest” into The House of Dead Maids: the little collection of playthings hidden below the clothes press and passed down from one set of doomed children to another. Writing the scene reminded me of a similar scene in Lucy Boston’s wonderful ghost story, The Children of Green Knowe, but her children play with splendid toys. Tabby’s hoard contains such items as feathers and buttons: the playthings of poor children.

The Children of Green Knowe, which I read in childhood, also introduced me to topiaries in English gardens. That book contains an enchanted and sinister topiary bush which can move about on its own. If you’ve never read it, I heartily recommend it.

Miss Winter’s rooms look nicer and more up to date than does the rest of the house, but Heathcliff (Himself) is excited to find a bizarre item of decoration there: a genuine horse’s hoof. It’s in this story because I discovered such a hoof when I was sixteen years old in the family room of an Irish bed and breakfast, and I’ve been wondering about it ever since. Presumably, the horse it had belonged to was a beloved pet or remarkable race horse (or, more likely, a cavalry mount). But really ... a hoof?!

The “voodoo” dolls Tabby and Heathcliff find are typical of sympathetic magic practiced all over the world, and definitely practiced in England at the time. In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff comments that he has witnessed the child Isabella lying on the floor and screaming “as if witches were running red-hot needles into her.” By this he means that she is screaming as if she is being tortured by “voodoo” doll—screaming even though no one is near her to cause her pain. (Witches purportedly heated up the needles they used on such dolls so that they would slide easily into the wax.) I drew inspiration for Miss Winter’s “voodoo” dolls from this reference, as well as from the stories of the Brontë children playing with their toy soldiers. It made me smile to think of Tabby and Heathcliff turning these objects of hatred and violence into toys, and I liked the idea of Heathcliff affecting the character of Emily Brontë’s brother Branwell by inspiring him to play with a pirate doll named Rogue (which Branwell Brontë did in real life).

If you’d like to take a quick virtual trip to Yorkshire, you may visit my website and find photographs of my research for The House of Dead Maids here: http://www.claredunkle.com/Design/maidsphotoindex.htm.

In that set of webpages, you can find numerous topiary bushes that look both sinister and enchanted. And I’ve placed a description of some of Wuthering Heights’ most common literary motifs here: http://www.claredunkle.com/Design/maidsbrmotifs.htm.

All of them have parallels in The House of Dead Maids. Also, if you’d like a taste of history, I’ve added numerous pages about the Brontës to my site. You can read about the Brontës’ doll-characters and about Branwell’s Pirate Rogue here: http://www.claredunkle.com/Design/maidsbrrogue.htm.



Special Brontë-themed giveaway!


One Grand Prize winner will receive The House of Dead Maids, a gorgeous Brontë sisters pocket mirror, and the HarperTeen edition of Wuthering Heights! Two lucky runners-up will receive the two books. To enter, send an email to DeadMaidsBook@gmail.com with your name, email address, and shipping address (if you're under 13, submit a parent's name and email address). One entry per person and prizes will only be shipped to US or Canadian addresses. Entries must be received by midnight (PDT) on October 31. Winners will be selected in a random drawing on November 1 and notified via email.

Read more...

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Body at the Tower Online Launch Party

I really love Y.S. Lee's series so far - The Agency and she's having an online Twitter party to celebrate the second book in the series coming out!

It's today at:

4 pm BST (UK/Europe)
4 pm EST (US/Canada)

So, you can go to either! I love that there's two different parties slotted.

Here's what it's about (straight from Y.S. Lee herself):
Walker Books UK and Candlewick Press are co-hosting the parties, and we’re all providing prizes. I’ve got Agency t-shirts and stickers to give away, and my publishers are offering up books (of course!). I’d love to see you there (and of course, you can attend whichever party you like – the times are intended to be convenient).

Just look for hastag #bodytower and you're in! :)

I sadly can't make it because I will still be at work, but I hope some of you guys stop by.

Here are links to my reviews of her two books:
A Spy in the House
The Body at the Tower
Read more...

Monday, September 27, 2010

It's Monday, What are you Reading?


This fantastic meme is now hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

Read this past week:
Challenge (Wicked Lovely Desert Tales #2) by Melissa Marr
The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson
The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby by Dav Pilkey
Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel
Queen's Knight vol. 10 by Kim Kang Won
Queen's Knight vol. 11 by Kim Kang Won
Queen's Knight vol. 12 by Kim Kang Won
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Thief by Megan Whelan Turner
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Currently Reading:
Sacred Scars by Kathleen Duey
Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner

Upcoming:
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison


I didn't review anything last week. I will have some reviews up this week.. at least one... lol. I was really sick last week so I just read and slept and worked.. cause I'm insane and book fair is next week and well, I've taken too many sick days already. Just another year of working in the schools and supposedly my immune system will kick in.. maybe...

What are you guys reading?
Read more...

Sunday, September 26, 2010

The Sunday Blues (7)


I'm a little behind from last week, but I'll catch up today! Sorry about posting this up late!

This meme is basically a pick-me-up - a way to get some extra comments on a post that didn't go so well on your blog the past week, month, or even year.

So, official rules/explanation below.

1. Please link directly to the post that you would like more people to comment on.
2. Posts should have 3 or less comments before posting the link. Only one link per blog/person. Also, these should be content posts - not giveaway posts...
3. Please pick 3-5 links yourself to comment on and write at least a sentence or two in the comments. No "great post" or "great review" comments.
4. I will be trying to comment myself on every single post linked in the Mr. Linky below.

How to Link: Title of Post (Name of Blog)

Example: Saturday Spotlight (Bookworming in the 21st Century)
Link: http://www.bookworminginthe21stcentury.com/2010/08/saturday-spotlight-badass-bookie.html



Read more...

Saturday, September 25, 2010

In My Mailbox - September 25th

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren.

For Review:



Selling Hope by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff



The Blending Time
by Michael Kinch
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Just Add Magic by Cindy Callaghan


Won:



The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (signed HC)
The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell (signed HC)
Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount-White (signed HC)
The DUFF by Kody Keplinger (signed ARC)
Palace Beautiful by Sarah deFord Williams (ARC)
Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong (ARC)
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk (ARC)
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (ARC)
and SWAG!

All from Denise Jaden! :) I won her Tenners Prize Pack during her Losing Faith release contest insanity :)

I also won:



Spaceheadz by Jon Scieszka (won two copies and they came with a fun pencil!)


And then I bought one book:



Sins of a Wicked Duke by Sophie Jordan (who I will be meeting tomorrow!)
Read more...

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Link a Contest Thursday




Rules (or at least STRONG suggestions):
1. Name the item being given away (instead of the blog name)
2. Give the end date in () after the name
3. Make sure to link DIRECTLY to that contest post - if you don't know how to do this - just click on the title of the contest blog and it will give a direct URL you can use.
4. If you want to post a contest you've found, make sure it isn't already posted.



Read more...

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Life Interferance

Hi guys!

I won't have much up in the way of reviews this week because my immune system isn't quite built up yet to work in a school. I've been sick since Sunday with a nasty head cold and instead of trying to get better, I've been going to work. So, when I get home my brain and body are all mushy. Yep. But onto better things...

Tonight is Smart Chicks! I'm so excited!

Also, my husband has been unemployed so he finally decided he needs to start some college classes to beef up his resume and eventually get a degree. So, I've been spending nights with him going over applications, FAFSA, and other stuff.

And wow I'm almost at 1300 followers! That is insane. No really, it is.

And I've been reading a bit more this week - short middle grade books I felt like I should've read ages ago - Bridge to Terabithia, Adventures of Captain Underpants, and more... :)

So, how's life going for you?
Read more...

Monday, September 20, 2010

It's Monday, What are you Reading?


This fantastic meme is now hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

Read this past week:
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle
Zombies vs. Unicorns

Currently Reading:
Sacred Scars by Kathleen Duey
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Upcoming:
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Losing Faith by Denise Jaden
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Reviewed Last Week:
Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin
Peter & Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham
The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare


Not sure how I managed to read those books because last week was INSANE! My sister had her baby boy - Will. So I spent most of Wednesday and Thursday night in the hospital spending time with my new nephew and making sure someone was with my sister when her 4 year old daughter Lily was dropped off. :) I'll have some pictures next week.

Also, it was a frustrating week at work and I just came home pissed off most evenings and would rant for an hour at my husband. I'm sure he's sick of that and glad I relaxed this weekend and acted like my usual calm self. Probably because I'm getting sick. Darn immune system needs to kick in for school bugs.

So, how did you guys do last week?
Read more...

Sunday, September 19, 2010

The Sunday Blues (6)



This meme is basically a pick-me-up - a way to get some extra comments on a post that didn't go so well on your blog the past week, month, or even year.

So, official rules/explanation below.

1. Please link directly to the post that you would like more people to comment on.
2. Posts should have 3 or less comments before posting the link. Only one link per blog/person. Also, these should be content posts - not giveaway posts...
3. Please pick 3-5 links yourself to comment on and write at least a sentence or two in the comments. No "great post" or "great review" comments.
4. I will be trying to comment myself on every single post linked in the Mr. Linky below.

How to Link: Title of Post (Name of Blog)

Example: Saturday Spotlight (Bookworming in the 21st Century)
Link: http://www.bookworminginthe21stcentury.com/2010/08/saturday-spotlight-badass-bookie.html



Read more...

Saturday, September 18, 2010

In My Mailbox - September 18th

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren.

For Review:




The Code of the Zombie Pirate by Scott Kenemore
Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney


Won:



Firelight by Sophie Jordan (from There's a Book)
Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry (from Julie herself)


Mooched:



The Merchant of Death (Pendragon #1) by D.J. McHale
Read more...

Friday, September 17, 2010

Blogmania winners!

Here are the winners of my insanely awesome Blogmania contest! I had 579 people enter my contest! Craziness.

So, without further ado...

5 ARC Prize Pack winner: Lizzy from Cornucopia of Reviews!

4 Spooky YA Prize Pack winner: Wendy H. from Minding Spot

3 Melissa Marr Prize Pack winner: Leslie G.!

2 Historical Fiction Prize Pack winner: Cynthia from CindyWindy Loves Blogs n Frogs

1 Book of choice from Book Depository winner: Taffy from Writing Dreams


I will be emailing you shortly for your mailing addresses!

Thank you all for participating! :-D
Read more...

BBAW - Future Treasures



I want to first off thank all the participants of Blogmania for stopping by and wow, I gained 60 followers without even requiring them to follow, which just feels fantastic. I'll have winners posted later today.

Also, sorry about the lack of Link a Contest Thursday - I think most of us had our hands full with Blogmania. It will be up next week!

So, it's been a great year on my blog and I always know what I want to do more of. So, here what I want to work on for the future:

  • More reviews. I tend to be on and off with this and I think I may add some features that will let me post about books I love every week instead of relying on what I've read and getting reviews posted ASAP. So you get a peak at what I like and then also what I'm reading.
  • Keeping up. I can be a moody blogger some weeks and I just need to train myself to keep up with all my features and reviews. I do try to read as much as possible so I usually have plenty to review on the blog.
  • Commenting more. This is sort of the reason I created The Sunday Blues - I need a way to push me to comment more on the blogs I love. I may set up some sort of checklist for the blog to do daily or weekly if possible.
So those are my goals. I really had fun this year, keeping up with features, creating new ones... and just reading more than I had last year at this point. I started this blog to share my reviews and love for reading and I hope to keep doing that in the coming year.
Read more...

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Blogmania Giveaway - 5-4-3-2-1 Book giveaway!




Welcome to Blogmania!! I'm really excited for these two days of giveaways and I hope you are too!

Today, I am giving away 5 prize packs, all book related - most of them young adult. You could win 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 books from me. There will be FIVE different winners for these prizes.

Here are the prize choices:

5 ARC prize pack:





4 "Spooky" YA books:




3 books by Melissa Marr:



2 Historical Fiction:




1 Book of choice, under $15 from The Book Depository. Open to anywhere Book Depository ships. Check list of countries here.


Here is how you enter!

Rules:
1. All prizes except the last one are for US/Canada addresses only.
2. Fill out the form below to enter.
3. Choose as many of the prize packs in the form that you would like to win.
4. Contest ends on September 16, 2010 at 11:59 EST.




Check out all the other blogs participating!





Read more...

BBAW 2010 - Forgotten Treasure


Well, this is really tough to pick one... I have a bazillion I could talk about. Well, I will compromise. I shall pick two awesome books/series that you really should read.

The first is Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block. This book is the combined edition of all of her Weetzie Bat books. I love nearly all of Francesca's books, but these were the first I read and left the biggest impact.



Summary:
Love is a dangerous angel...Francesca Lia Block's luminous saga of interwoven lives will send the senses into wild overdrive. These post-modern fairy tales chronicle the thin line between fear and desire, pain and pleasure, cutting loose and holding on in a world where everyone is vulnerable to the most beautiful and dangerous angel of all: love.

What I love about this series:
The style is out of this world. There's a bazillion issues dealt with - such as homosexuality, single mothers, AIDs and more. This book will transport you to a world like ours only so different. I really just recommend reading them - there's magic in Block's words that can only be discovered through reading her books.


And the second is...



Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jackie" Faber, Ship's Boy
by L.A. Meyer
Summary (from Goodreads.com):
Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas. There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she must use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret.

My goodreads review (from September, 2007):
I loved this book. There's some romance, a lot of cussin' and some action too! I just loved it and can't wait to start on the next one in the series. I enjoyed how it was written in a way that showed her accent and progressed as she started to talk more properly. A must read for adventure and pirate lovers.


Recent thoughts (aka. why you need to read this!): I have read all but the latest in this series and lately I've been having an ache to finally get around to reading the last one. And why is that? I need some serious adventure, wittiness, and a bit of romance in my read. These books deliver all of that and more. This series mixes some historical events with the insanely adventurous life of Mary "Jackie" Faber - an orphan who goes from being homeless to pretending to be a boy on a ship for the British army and then later on in the books revealing herself for who she is and gaining her own reputation as quite the swashbuckling criminal.

If you are in desperate need of some high-seas, historical, or simply witty and whimsical adventure.. this is your book. You will NOT regret reading this series.. well you might.. because you'll probably be dying for the next book.. and then the next.. and the next..

Read. This. Book.

Read both of these series! They won't disappoint! :)
Read more...

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

BBAW 2010 - Unexpected Treasure


So, this is a tough one for me... I'm going to go with an easy way out I think. Erica from The Book Cellar was really pushing me to read The Iron King this summer - a book I would have read eventually, but I think her badgering really made me read it asap.

I really enjoyed it and was glad I finally got around to reading it. I'm sort of a moody reader so I don't always have a plan to what I read and I'm definitely thankful Erica kicked me in the butt and made me pick up this awesome book.

Summary (via Goodreads):

Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.


Read my review here.


Read more...

The Clockwork Angel


Author: Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: August 31, 2010
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy/Steampunk
Copy provided by: Myself (bought at Andersons for book signing)
Summary (via Goodreads):

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa.
As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Why I read this: How could I not? I really enjoyed Cassie's first trilogy and needed to read this one. And she was coming to town - so no excuse to set it aside for months.

Plot: I have to say that this book was so much more awesome than her Mortal Instruments series - to me. And I love that series... so it is really really good. I love the setting of the novel first of - I've always been a huge fan of historical fantasy. The story moved, it had action and danger and some seriously intriguing background that was revealed. I feel that a good story always leaves you with questions and a want for more and that is exactly what this book did for me. It was a fantastic introduction to the world, character, and a plot that you can't wait to see move further on.

Characters: I really liked Tessa right off. She's quite strong for being someone who hasn't been in trouble like she was. She's definitely not kicking any butts but you just sense that she's not the type of girl to break down and weep whenever in a terrible situation. I can't wait to see how Tessa deals with her ability in the later books and how her relationship with Will develops.

Will is definitely the darker of the two love choices (the other being Jem, although personally I didn't feel he really had a chance in this book). There is something he is hiding and I cannot wait to figure out what it is! He's one of those guys that acts like a horrible person and then secretly does good deeds. I really hope he turns into what Tessa needs or she may give up on him completely.

Relatability: Anyone who loves the genre will probably really dig this book. It definitely has a similar feel to her Mortal Instruments series, but I think this one is far better.

Cover Commentary: Love it. So pretty. :)

Rating: 5/5 Roses


Buy it on Amazon*
Find it on Goodreads



*If you buy this book on Amazon through the link above, I will receive a small portion of the sales.
Read more...

Peter & Max: A Fables Novel


Author: Bill Willingham
Publication Date: October 2009
Genre: YA Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling
Copy provided by: Xmas Gift (thanks Uncle John!)
Summary (via Goodreads):

A new stand-alone FABLES NOVEL from award-winning and wildly acclaimed author, Bill Willingham.

This story stars Peter Piper and his incorrigible brother Max in a tale about jealousy, betrayal and revenge. Set in two distinct time periods, prepare to travel back to medieval times and learn the tragic back-story of the Piper family, a medieval-era family of traveling minstrels. Then, jump into the present to follow a tale of espionage as Peter Piper slowly hunts down his evil brother for a heinous crime, pitting Peter's talents as a master thief against Max's dark magical powers.

Based on the long-running and award-winning comic book series FABLES, PETER AND MAX is its own tale. Readers don't have to be familiar with the comics to fully enjoy and understand this book.

Why I read this: The real question is why in heck did it take me so long to get around to reading this one??? My uncle bought it for me for Christmas last year and I have no idea why I didn't read it the next day. I absolutely love the Fables graphic novel series and was excited that there was an actual YA novel set in the same universe. I also love fairy tale retellings. :)

Plot: Amazing. Mind-blowing. Heart-stopping. Let's just say that this book certainly takes you for a ride. It's definitely upper YA. There's some serious gore and evilness in this book that I wouldn't recommend to middle school-ers. I loved it all the same. It basically follows the Piper brothers. Peter is the one who is good and he has a magical flute his father handed down to him. His older brother Max slowly transforms from a selfish boy into a horrible, evil magician who leads children astray from villages, attacks whoever he feels like and is set out to kill Peter once and for all and take back what he believes to be rightfully his - the flute that was handed down to Peter.

I love that it is set in two time periods. We get to see two worlds at once and a glimpse and curiosity as to why Bo Peep is disabled and how Max has been around for so long. The dual time-line really made this book better than it already was.

Characters: Peter definitely is not the perfect child, but he acts out of love where his brother Max acts out of hatred. I can understand Peter a bit because I was the younger sister that was better at certain things than my older sister, just as Peter was better at playing than Max. I love seeing Peter as a child and as a man, you can definitely see how he has grown and how his experiences have shaped who he is.

Max really is evil. He has washed away any good he once had in him by all the evil deeds he has done. I love his character because he so good at being bad.

Relatability: I think some of us can relate to sibling rivalry if we have sisters or brothers. This is a bit of an extreme form of it, but there's something to the emotion that first sparks Max's anger and his hatred that we sometimes can see in ourselves.

Cover Commentary: I love it. The colors.. the shadows.. so lovely.

Rating: 5/5 Roses


Buy it on Amazon*
Find it on Goodreads



*If you buy this book on Amazon through the link above, I will receive a small portion of the sales.
Read more...

Monday, September 13, 2010

BBAW 2010 - First Treasure




So today is the beginning of Book Blogger Appreciation Week! :) Check out the BBAW site if you have no clue what the heck I'm talking about.

Today, bloggers were invited to share a blog they discovered this past year and why they keep going back to that blog.

So, one of my goodreads buddies Allison starting blogging this past year and I really love hearing her thoughts on books since we read a ton of the same books. She's fun to talk to and I just love stopping by her blog - The Allure of Books.


Read more...