Sara Reads Things

Ah Christmas. The time of year when evergreen trees catch fire, electric bills are through the roof and everyone eats too much and gain a thousand pounds. My favorite! But all of that has nothing to do with this adventure of an ill-fated breakfast. In the cool morning air, we gathered our presents and piled into the car. Now this wasn't any ordinary SUV, I might add, but one of great value. Something I had been wishing to drive for years. You see, my poor Suzuki had a mishap up on the mountain a few weeks ago, leaving my husband, mom, youngest son, two small nephews and aunt from Florida stranded in the snow. The alternator died, draining the battery in the frigid cold, but that is a story for another day. The car we are going to talk about is a borrowed Porsche Cayenne with an interior the color of diarrhea and mental issues to numerous to count, but it had heated leather seats, so it was fine. We all piled into the Porsche and away we went to our Christmas breakfast with my s...

Title:  Wanted By: Betsy Schow Genre: Fantasy / Fairy Tale  Release Date:  February 7th, 2017 Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire Summary from Goodreads:  In the sequel to  Spelled , can Robin Hood's daughter, Rexi, stop the Wicked Witch from finding Excalibur? Fairy-Tale Survival Rule No. 52: No matter how difficult the obstacles or all-powerful the evil villain, one can rest assured that the hero of the story never dies. The sidekicks though...they should be worried. Rexi Hood is proud to be an outlaw. After all, she's the daughter of the infamous Robin Hood. But sidekick? Accomplice? Sorry, that wasn't in her story description. Yeah, she and Princess Dorthea of Emerald have been inseparable since they teamed up to fight the wickedest witch. But if Rexi doesn't figure out how to break the curse that binds them, forget being overshadowed by the spirited princess, Rexi's going to become a Forgotten, wiped from the pages of Story and reduced to a pu...

Title: Fly by Night By: Frances Hardinge Genre:  Historical Fantasy Release Date: May 1st, 2006 Publisher:  HarperCollins Publishers Summary from Goodreads:  Twelve-year-old Mosca Mye hasn't got much. Her cruel uncle keeps her locked up in his mill, and her only friend is her pet goose, Saracen, who'll bite anything that crosses his path. But she does have one small, rare thing: the ability to read. She doesn't know it yet, but in a world where books are dangerous things, this gift will change her life. Enter Eponymous Clent, a smooth-talking con man who seems to love words nearly as much as Mosca herself. Soon Mosca and Clent are living a life of deceit and danger -- discovering secret societies, following shady characters onto floating coffeehouses, and entangling themselves with crazed dukes and double-crossing racketeers. It would be exactly the kind of tale Mosca has always longed to take part in, until she learns that her one true love -- words -- ma...

Merry Christmas Everyone! We had a wonderful weekend full of family and friends. Christmas Eve spent with the in-laws and Christmas day spent with my family and our own small family fun. There was so much food. Oh, yummy food. Enjoy this weeks menu and have a wonderful New Year! Monday - Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops Tuesday -  Doritos Taco Salad Wednesday - Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls Thursday -  Deconstructed Pizza Friday -  Taco Soup Saturday - BLT Caesar Salad Sunday - Tuna Sandwiches

It was brought to my attention a while ago that I have the best stories and I should put all of them in a book so others can enjoy my tales of craziness. While, I don't have time to sit down and write a book, I thought I would compile some of these stories here for your amusement and maybe one day turn them into a book. Please enjoy this first installment of Crazy Eight. I really don't know what I was thinking. I mean, going to the store on Christmas Eve-eve is never a good idea, but in my hazy, head cold medicated mind it seemed like a great thing to do. Slip in, get some cold medicine, slip out. Half hour tops, right? WRONG. My first mistake was entering the parking lot. The store has a large lot where oogles of cars can rest while their stressed out owners wander the isles trying to find that one bag of barely they seem to need, but wont actually use until who knows when, (I actually needed that barley for soup, but someone bought the whole store out. Thanks a lot.) ...

The Silver Key by Elena Schauwecker Genre: YA Fantasy Release Date: December 6th 2016 BookLogix I'm so glad to have Elena Schauwecker, author of The Silver Key on the blog today. She has put together an awesome playlist of songs that inspire her. Check it out and don't forget to scroll to the very end of the post for the giveaway. Drops of Jupiter (Train) Hotel California (The Eagles) The Sound of Silence (Disturbed)   Burning House (Cam) Falling Slowly (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) Secrets (OneRepublic) Better When I’m Dancing (Meghan Trainor)  Ex’s and Oh’s (Elle King) Faithfully (Journey) Picture (Kid Rock) Summary from Goodreads: “If those bad guys—Meladyne—if they have this Key, they will . . .?” “Unlock the greatest power in all the universe and enslave every man, woman, and child on this planet, destroying the earth and all life as you know it; there will be nowhere to go but Meladyne. Then they’ll leave the Sunolians, the spiri...

Heir of Thunder by Karissa Laurel Genre: YA Fantasy Release Date: September 26th 2016 Evolved Publishing I have the honor of introducing you to the amazing Karissa Laurel, author of Heir of Thunder. She has been gracious enough to share the music that inspired her while she was writing and forming her new release. Check it out, and make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom for an awesome giveaway... Viva La Vida; Coldplay.  (This song has to be on the list because it was the original source of inspiration: What happens to a princess when her father dies and her kingdom suddenly ripped away?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE I used to rule the world Seas would rise when I gave the word Now in the morning I sleep alone Sweep the streets I used to own I used to roll the dice Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes Listened as the crowd would sing Now the old king is dead long live the king One minute I held the key Next the walls were closed on me ...

What a crazy week! We had snow on Wednesday that still hasn't melted. It shut down the whole metro area. People were stuck in traffic for five to six hours, just to get home that night. Fortunately for me, I live close to work and it only took my about fifteen minutes. You could say I was one of the lucky ones. The kids had school of Thursday and Friday so we are now officially on winter break. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them for the next two weeks. Because of the snow Saturday, I wasn't able to get the boys to my in-laws, so I decided to take them to work with me. They lasted the whole four hours we were open. I was extremely thrilled and proud of them for hanging on so long. We took and adventure on Sunday to purchase a new dryer. Our 11 year old one finally gave up the ghost and wouldn't turn on any longer. The new one, you can actually pair with your phone, not that I have figured out how to do that yet. I probably wouldn't even use that ...

Book & Author Details: Seasons Within by Lele Iturrioz Published by: Acorn Publishing Publication date:  December 15th 2016 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Decsription: Most teenage girls know their name, where they came from, who they are. Not G, a beautiful redhead with unusual markings on her wrist. She gets her name from a silver locket she keeps around her neck, unaware the engraved letter “G” on its front holds the secret to her past. G’s life before the age of six has been a mystery to her. Each night for the last twelve years she’s been haunted by the same nightmare—a war. Horrendous beasts, warriors able to wield the four elements, and a boy who saves her by means of blue fire taunt her memory. But on her eighteenth birthday, G’s life begins to unravel. When she meets her new Chemistry professor, a man with an uncanny resemblance to the boy who saves her, she knows there must be more to her dreams. It’s dangerous not knowing who you...

Book & Author Details: The Elf by Max Dune Publication date: October 18th 2016 Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult Synopsis: This Christmas…it’s war.   Grab your weapon and join the fight in this modern Santa Claus retelling with a dark twist. Fans of  Guardians of the Galaxy  and  Avatar  will be riveted by  The Elf ‘s action, humor and romance! Elves are dying in the North Pole, and none of their scientists can find a cure. They believe it’s a virus, unleashed by a powerful enemy. All signs point to Jack Frost, who’s been biding his time from afar. Watching. Waiting. Plotting. One brave elf, to save his kind, will venture out to meet evil in the eye. But he uncovers a mystery more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. Now Lucian must join a group of warriors and fight. Fuego; a flame-wielding pyro. Tiktok; a brilliant bomb expert, Yuriko; a deadly ninja assassin. And Bullets; a hot-headed gun aficiona...

Hero High: Figure in the Flames by Mina Chara Genre: YA Mystery Romance/Superheroes Release Date: October 1st 2016 Summary from Goodreads: Reality TV meets Superhero High School in this intriguing story about friendship, fame, and what it means to be a hero. In Icon City superheroes save the day every day on the quarter hour. Led by Captain Fantastic, scores of superhero celebrities do their best to train the next generation. Seventeen year old Friday Fitzsimmons and Jake her childhood friend are their latest starstruck recruits. When Doctor Dangerous returns from the dead and the Figure in Flames decimates the city, Captain Fantastic is betrayed by one of his own. Torn between Jake, Ashley and her feelings for Doctor Dangerous, Friday must decide if her childhood friend is worth fighting for, and if the worlds most famous super-villain is worth saving, all while learning how to be a hero. Add to Goodreads Review:  Its not everyday that you read a book that has ...

Title: Maresi By: Maria Turtschaninoff Genre: Fantasy Release Date: January 3rd, 2017 Publisher: Amulet Books Summary from Goodreads: Only women and girls are allowed in the Red Abbey, a haven from abuse and oppression. Maresi, a thirteen-year-old novice there, arrived in the hunger winter and now lives a happy life in the Abbey, protected by the Mother and reveling in the vast library in the House of Knowledge, her favorite place. Into this idyllic existence comes Jai, a girl with a dark past. She has escaped her home after witnessing the killing of her beloved sister. Soon the dangers of the outside world follow Jai into the sacred space of the Abbey, and Maresi can no longer hide in books and words but must become one who acts.   Add on Goodreads Review:  It has been a long time since I've been really excited to read a book. Most the time I pick them up and push myself to get through them, but that wasn't the case with Maresi. I felt a real connect...

Book & Author Details: Pocket Full of Tinder by Jill Archer ( Noon  Onyx #4) Publication date:  December 15th 2016 Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Science Fiction Synopsis: Noon  Onyx is back! In this long-awaited fourth installment, Jill Archer returns readers to the dangerous world of Halja, where demons, angels, and humans coexist in an uneasy state of détente. Maegester-in-Training  Noon  Onyx feels like she’s done it all – mastered fiery magic, become an adept fighter, learned the law, killed countless demons, and survived having her heart broken by both love and an arrow, but now she’ll face her greatest challenge yet… Far to the north lies an outpost famous for its unrest – Rockthorn Gorge. The town’s patron has specifically requested Noon’s help. Her assignment? Help the neophyte demon lord build his fiefdom and keep what’s his. The problem? Lord Aristos – Noon’s new employer – is her erstwhile lover, Ari Carmine, ...