Sara Reads Things

Colorless Rita Stradling Publication date: August 2017 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult In Domengrad, there are rules all must live by: Fear the Gods. Worship the Magicians. Forsake the Iconoclasts. To Annabelle Klein, the rules laid down by the Magicians are the mere ramblings of stuffy old men. As far as she’s concerned, the historic Iconoclasts, heretics who nearly destroyed the Magicians so long ago, are nothing but myth. She has much more important matters to worry about. Heiress to a manor mortgaged down to its candlesticks and betrothed to her loathsome, lecherous cousin, sixteen-year-old Annabelle doubts the gods could forsake her more. Then Annabelle is informed of her parents’ sudden and simultaneous deaths, and all of the pigment drips out of her skin and hair, leaving her colorless. Within moments, Annabelle is invisible and forgotten by all who know her. Living like a wraith in her own home, Annabelle discovers that to regain her color she must solve the mystery b...

Another eighteen books this month. I marked a few off my TBR list, read a couple picture books with my boys and got into graphic novels. Here they all are in no particular order and don't forget to read my reviews for these books. You can find them on the left side of the page under the post list. Happy April... Moon Called - Patricia Briggs Is a Worry Worrying You? - Ferida Wolff Ivy in Bloom - Vanita Oelschlager We Were Liars - E. Lockhart Magic Words - Unknown Royal Bastards - Andrew Shvarts Red Sister - Mark Lawrence The Wonder - Emma Donoghue Mask of Shadows - Linsey Miller Arena - Holly Jennings Gauntlet - Holly Jennings The Radium Girls - Kate Moore Who Killed Superwoman? - Phil Jimenez Deadman - Sarah Vaughn Under-The-Bed Fred - Colin Jack Who She Was - Stormy Smith Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman The Hidden Legacy - Christine Rees

Title: Red Sister By: Mark Lawrence Genre: Fantasy Release Date: April 4th, 2017 Publisher:  Ace Summary from Goodreads:  I was born for killing – the gods made me to ruin. At the Convent of Sweet Mercy young girls are raised to be killers. In a few the old bloods show, gifting talents rarely seen since the tribes beached their ships on Abeth. Sweet Mercy hones its novices’ skills to deadly effect: it takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist. But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don’t truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls as a bloodstained child of eight, falsely accused of murder: guilty of worse. Stolen from the shadow of the noose, Nona is sought by powerful enemies, and for good reason. Despite the security and isolation of the convent her secret and violent past will find her out. Beneath a dying sun that shines upon a crumbling empire, Nona Grey must come to terms with her demo...

Title: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love By:  Sarah Vaughn Genre: Graphic Novel Release Date: October 5th, 2016 Publisher:  DC Comics Summary from Goodreads:  Trapped inside an old gothic mansion, Deadman must battle the forces of darkness alongside Berenice, a young woman with a complicated love life who is gifted-or cursed-with the ability to communicate with the dead. Romance, mystery, and evil await in the new, bimonthly miniseries DEADMAN: DARK MANSION OF FORBIDDEN LOVE, by Sarah Vaughn (Alex + Ada) and Lan Medina (FABLES)! Add on Goodreads Review:  What really drew me to this read was the name. I've never heard of Darkman, and the Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love just sounds so strange. I love it. The story started out a little slow for me, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down.  Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Title: Under-The-Bed Fred By: Linda Bailey Genre: Picture Book Release Date: September 19th, 2017 Publisher:  Tundra Books (NY) Summary from Goodreads:  From the team who brought you If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur comes a laugh-out-loud early chapter book about befriending the monster under the bed. There's a monster under Leo's bed making a ruckus every night. When Leo needs to go to the bathroom, he leaps from the bed to the door -- careful not to put his feet on the floor within the monster's reach. But one night Leo gets tired of being scared and boldly calls out to the monster to see if they can't just work something out. Surprisingly, the monster listens, and Leo finds out that even enormous monsters have fears! Leo and his monster, Fred, team up to face their fears, each with his own unique strengths. Over the course of five easy-to-read chapters, their friendship blooms as they face everything from bullies to bedbugs. A funny and endearing ta...

Happy Monday! We are down to the last week of April and I can't believe how fast this month has flown by.  My middle boy is almost seven. My oldest has a music concert this week and the wee little man who isn't really that little, still won't potty train... I just can't win.  I guess if there is one constant in my life, it would have to be chaos. Total CHAOS! Enjoy this weeks menu... Monday - Bratwurst   Tuesday -  Chicken and Pesto Sandwich Wednesday - Cajun Chicken Alfredo Thursday - Beef Tacos Friday -  Chicken Caesar Wrap Saturday - Loaded Taco Salad Sunday -  Tuna Sandwiches

Title: Royal Bastards By: Andrew Shvarts Genre: Fantasy Release Date: May 30th, 2017 Publisher:  Disney-Hyperion Summary from Goodreads:  Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children. At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax’s floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father’s side, resplendent in a sparkling gown, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who’s been in love with Tilla since they were children. Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards’ Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is lea...

Title: Gauntlet By: Holly Jennings Genre: Urban Fantasy  Release Date: April 4th, 2017 Publisher:  Ace Summary from Goodreads:  Kali Ling isn’t afraid of dying. She’s been killed hundreds of times in hundreds of different ways. And she knows there are things much more terrifying than death… There’s a new game in town. A brutal, winner-takes-all, international video game tournament between the world’s most elite players, promising fame, prestige, and unbelievable fortune. But there’s a catch. The game uses new VR pods guaranteed to push digital warriors to their physical and psychological brink—adapting every time a gamer makes a move. As the first female captain and youngest team owner in VGL history, Kali is used to defying the odds. But as the all-star tournament heats up, her determination begins to waver and the pressures of media, sponsors, and the game itself begin to put cracks in her hard-set convictions. If Kali’s Team Defiance is to survive,...

Title: Is a Worry Worrying You? By: Ferida Wolff Genre: Picture Book Release Date: April 15th, 2005 Publisher:  Tanglewood Summary from Goodreads:  This book addresses children's worries with humor and imagination, as hilarious scenarios teach kids the use of perspective and the art of creative problem—solving. Add on Goodreads Review:  I loved how this book digs into how children might see worries in their lives. I have an autistic son who worries a lot. Worries about school, worries about dinner, bedtime, bath time. If anything changes, he worries. I can see this book being an asset for him to read when he is starting to feel the worry monster sneaking in. The art was amazing and the layout was easy to follow. Loved it! Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.