May 2015 Reads

Well, I went a little crazy and read all the books on my TBR list that were under 100 pages. I have a total of 25 books this month to share with you. Most of them have reviews posted here, but there are some that I just didn't get around to. They were all good. I don't think I reviewed any of them at less than a 3 star. Without further adieu, my May book list.

 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Troubletwisters by Garth Nix and Sean Williams

 Fire Above, Fire Below by Garth Nix
The Transfer by Veronica Roth

 Four the Initiate by Veronica Roth
Four the Son by Veronica Roth

 Four the Traitor by Veronica Roth
The Guard by Kiera Cass

 The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
The Bone Queen by Alison Croggon

 A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
The Favorite by Kiera Cass

 Elf Warfare by Chris Pramas
The Legion of Flame by Anthony Ryan

 Home Going by Yaa Gyasi
Roar by Cora Carmack

 Assassin's Fate by Robin Hobb
There, There by Tim Beiser and Bill Slavin

 The Cityborn by Edward Willett
Lost boy by Christina Henry

 The Wanderland Chronicles by J.M. Sullivan
My Name is Caillou

Middle Bear by Susanna Isern
One Haunted House by Calee Lee

No Room for Baby! by Emile Jardoul

#BookReview | The Wanderland Chronicles by J.M. Sullivan

Title: The Wanderland Chronicles
By: J.M. Sullivan
Genre: Dystopian
Pages: 360
Release Date: May 16th, 2017
Publisher: Pen Name Publishing
Audience: Young Adult

Summary from Goodreads:“Always protect your queen.”

Ever since the outbreak of the Plague, life hasn’t been easy, and for seventeen-year-old Alice Carroll, it just got worse. Her sister, Dinah, has contracted the ‘un-deadly’ Momerath Virus and without a cure, will soon be worse than dead. She’ll be momerath.

Alice must leave the safety of the Sector and venture into Momerath Territory to find the antidote - if it exists. Chasing a rumor about a mysterious doctor with the cure, Alice falls down the rabbit hole into Wanderland, where ravenous momerath aren’t the only danger lurking.
 



Review: This book was Alice in Wonderland meets The Walking Dead. Epic! We follow Alice as she makes her way through Wanderland in the search for a cure to a deadly mutation that her sister has contracted. She meets Chess, The Bug, Hatta and may more on her journey. I love how all the classic Alice in Wonderland elements are weaved throughout this dystopian style read. Five stars for J.M. Sullivan.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.


#WeeklyMenu Week 199

I love my random book mail these days. This week I received The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett. The cover is just beautiful. So much better in person than ebook.

This book reminded me of Firefly. Space Western with the end of the world to deal with. It was a great read and one you all should pick up.

My own writing is coming along nicely. Up to chapter fourteen of my new book and cruising right along on my newest short story. Hopefully I should have one of them done soon, but things keep getting in the way and I'm not writing as much as I want to be. Still waiting for the edits on Seeker and the cover art, but that should be coming out soon too. Then to get to working on the third book in the series, Betrayer.

Enjoy this weeks menu!


Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday
Tuna Sandwiches

#BookReview | The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

Title: The Most Magnificent Thing
By: Ashley Spires
Genre: Picture Book
Pages: 32
Release Date: April 1st, 2014
Publisher:  Kids Can Press
Audience: Everyone!

Summary from Goodreads:Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires has created a charming picture book about an unnamed girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog. The girl has a wonderful idea. She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!? But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right.

For the early grades' exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl's frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it's okay to make mistakes. The clever use of verbs in groups of threes is both fun and functional, offering opportunities for wonderful vocabulary enrichment. The girl doesn't just make her magnificent thing --- "she tinkers and hammers and measures, she smoothes and wrenches and fiddles, she twists and tweaks and fastens." These precise action words are likely to fire up the imaginations of youngsters eager to create their own inventions and is a great tie-in to learning about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
 


Review:What an awesome story! My three year old sat through this whole book as we read about the little girl who wanted to make something magnificent, but she couldn't get it right. Every time we turned the page, my son would ask "What is it?" He was super excited at the end of the book when the most magnificent thing was finally done. Loved this story. Loved the art, it was fantastic. Loved my son's reaction.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.


Seraphina's Vengeance by Sheena Hutchinson #Coverreveal @Sheena_Hutch


Seraphina’s Vengeance
Sheena Hutchinson
(Seraphina #3)
Publication date: July 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance
One year ago, Seraphina’s entire world seemed to have dived into a mythical land over night. She’s somehow even gotten used to the madness of it all. But what happens when the craziness stops? Things become quiet… too quiet.
She should have known better, Sera should have known that things weren’t as quiet as they seemed. After one of the best nights of her life, Sera is forced into this treacherous journey to save one of her loved ones.
But following the path of evil begins to take its toll on Sera. As she struggles with her own internal dilemmas, Nate starts to take matters into his own hands. When this unseen world finally begins to affect Sera’s emotions and her relationship. Can she hold it together to save her loved ones? Will love conquer all? Or will it turn her evil… forever?
Previous books in the series:


Author Bio:
Sheena is a born and raised New Yorker, even her writing can't seem to hide her hard sarcasm. She claims destiny has lead her back to her true passion for writing.
She constantly strives to be a positive role model and writes stories that empower and inspire. Sheena always roots for the underdog, believes in love at first sight, and that everyone should have their happily ever after.
While God is currently still writing her love story, she continues to put all her effort into her writing as she is constantly getting new inspiration.
For more info, updates, and fun facts visit her website at www.SheenaHutchinson.com

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Darkest Days by N.W. Harris #BlogTour @nwharrisbooks


Darkest Days
N W Harris
(The Last Orphans, #4)
Publication date: May 22nd 2017
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Young Adult
The ancient slave mongers who killed the adults and enslaved the children have angered a more advanced species of aliens. Composed of pure energy, this superior race has attacked the Anunnaki home world and is now setting a course for Earth.
The energy-based aliens believe in a system of trial by battle. They seek to push Shane and his friends into the arena with the ones who killed their parents. The results will determine if humans deserve to live, or if they should be made extinct as well. It’s up to Shane to keep his friends—and an army of kids who look up to him—alive. They’ll be fighting not just for their own lives, but for the fate of the entire human race. Can the enemy of Shane’s enemy be his friend, or is this just another species determined to exploit and destroy them?
GUEST POST BY N.W. HARRIS:
What would I tell a new author?
What to tell a new author, hmmm… There is so much to tell, though every writer’s journey is different. First off, I’d tell them to write for themselves. If one writes just to get published and make money, I think they’ll go mad and/or quit before they ever get close. Why? It takes years to polish one’s craft enough to be published by a creditable publisher. I think writing has to be looked at as a hobby that could become a career. A writer has to want to write because there is something that is inside them that needs to get out. Write for a creative outlet. Write like it doesn’t matter if anyone besides you ever reads it. Write almost everyday, but it is important to take days off too.
Much of the education for the profession comes from practical experience. Sure, a writer draws from their experiences and traditional education. My educational background is mostly based in science, biology and anthropology, and it provides a volume of information to draw upon. But, I had to learn the craft of writing by trial and error. Every writer has to find his or her voice. That can take years, and it can only be discovered by hard work.
I’d tell them to persist. It’s my favorite word. You have to write a novel. Destroy it. Rewrite it. Invest countless hours and sometimes even years. Then you have to be willing to let all that work go because it was just the classroom where you polished your craft. You have to swallow rejection after rejection and keep fighting. When you get criticism, you have to listen to it. I’m not saying a budding writer should try to oblige every critic, but growth is critical and growth comes from taking in criticism. Deal with any pain it might cause quickly, and then get into the game again by applying what you’ve learned.


Author Bio:
Born at the end of the Vietnam war and raised on a horse farm near small town north Georgia, his imagination evolved under the swaying pines surrounding his family’s log home. On summer days that were too hot, winter days that were too cold, and every night into the wee morning hours, he read books. He lives in sunny southern California with his beautiful wife and two perfect children.

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