Book Review: Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George

Wednesdays in the Tower is the second book in the Castle Glower series by Jessica Day George. This children's fantasy book offers readers just what they have come to expect from  the author. Solid characters, action, adventure, a dash of mystery, and some humor.Castle Glower has a mind of its own, moving rooms and sometimes making them appear or disappear. Celie and the rest of the royal family thinks they have a grasp on what to expect from their unusual home. However, the castle has changed its usual pattern of craziness and becomes even less predictable, rendering Celie's map making efforts almost useless. A storeroom full of potentially magic, and certainly dangerous, weapons appears and a roost complete with a door only Celie can seem to find and a giant egg for her to care for and hatch lead to even more complications and adventure.

I have yet to be disappointed by Jessica Day George. This is true in Wednesdays in the Tower as well. There characters are engaging, making me care for them and feel like I know them almost immediately even though I somehow missed reading the previous book Tuesdays at the Castle. Celie and her siblings are smart and capable characters, and their interactions hold a realistic mix of love, trust, and teasing that anyone with siblings will instantly relate to. The craziness of the castle and the threats from within and outside the walls are both unbelievable, and so well describe that the world the characters liv
e in feels real. My only complaint is that the ending did leave a bit of a cliffhanger. While many of the immediate questions were answered- the consequences of those answers leave the my favorite characters in a situation I am eager to see resolved.

I highly recommend Wednesdays in the Tower to fans of Jessica Day George, although I would suggest reading Tuesdays at the Castle first. However, I did not take my own advice, and while I still greatly enjoyed the novel I am now going in search for the first.

Cover reveal: After the Kiss by Lauren Layne

After the Kiss by Lauren Layne is the first book in a new romance series from Lauren Layne, the star columnist of Stiletto magazine will do anything for a story. That is anything, but fall in love. The book will be available from Loveswept on September 9 2013, although the Random House website has it listed as being available on August 26th. 

 Julie Greene loves flings. Loves steamy first dates, sizzling first kisses, and every now and then, that first sexy romp between the sheets. Comfy pants, sleepy Sundays, movie nights on the couch? Shudder. But when Julie gets assigned the hardest story of her career—a first-person account of that magical shift between dating and “I do”—she’ll need a man brave enough to give a total commitment-phobe a chance at more. Normally, Mitchell Forbes would be exactly that man. A devastatingly hot workaholic who tends to stay in relationships for far too long, he should be the perfect subject for Julie’s “research.” But what Julie does not know is that Mitchell is looking to cut loose for once in his life. And the leggy journalist notorious for avoiding love is exactly the type of no-strings fling he’s looking for. In other words, Mitchell is the polar opposite of what Julie needs right now. And, at the same time, he’s exactly what she wants.

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Book Review: Hunter by Jacquelyn Frank (or Jax)

Hunter by Jacquelyn Frank (or Jax) is a paranormal romance. Tatyana Petrova is on a crazy road that seems to go no where, and no one knows where she is. When her car breaks down on a freezing New Years Eve, there is no cell phone service and she starts walking towards her destination. She practically falls into the arms of Hunter Finn. Hunter has just returned home from a self imposed exile to take up his mantle as Sentinel of Willow Coven, a group of good witches with unimaginable power defending their lives and home from danger. The attraction between the two is instant, but before long danger is upon them and Tatyana is initiated into a world of magic and danger.

Hunter offers fans of Jacquelyn Frank, or Jax, what they have come to expect. The characters are strong and smart, no shirking violets or fainting damsels here, and the actions scenes are as fast and furious as the romantic sparks between the main characters. While the attraction is sudden, it does not equal the pair falling into bed immediately, rather the pair seem to consider honor and the consequences prior to moving forward.  I rather like the fact that characters can think beyond attraction and hormones. I did feel like I missed something, as I have read many of Frank's books but do not seem to remember the story around Tatyana's brother meeting the coven and falling in love, which would have let me immerse myself into the created world a little faster. However, the story here did answer most of the questions I had about the coven and past exploits and left me feeling satisfied that I understood what was going on.

Tatyana has come to the home, uninvited, in search from her brother and finds much more than she bargained far. I liked the familial ties that moved the action of the story forward, and the foreshadowing that it offers for the series, but I think the same connections open up more questions. If my sibling when in search for another, and then pulled the same kind of disappearing act (including from their job) I would be on a warpath and in search of answers.I think that was the only plot point that irked me, but I fully expect that to be a part of the story in future novels.

I recommend Hunter to fans of Jacquelyn Frank or Jax. She does not disappoint those that come with an idea of what to expect. For readers that have yet to explore Frank's work, while I did enjoy Hunter, I still think that my favorite works from the author are in the Nightwalkers series, including Jacob, Gideon, and Elijah.

Book Review: Uncle John's Smell-O-Scopic Bathroom Reader for Kids Only! by Bathroom Readers' Institute

Uncle John's Smell-O-Scopic Bathroom Reader for Kids Only! by Bathroom Readers' Institute is a fun and unique collection of facts and stories that can be read and enjoyed in even the shortest time limits. There are one line factoids about everything from pop culture to science, and disgusting facts. There are also larger bits of information that will interest even the most reluctant readers of all ages.

I requested Uncle John's Smell-O-Scopic Bathroom Reader for Kids Only! from NetGalley on a whim, and was glad I did. While this is not the most interesting or enlightening book I have ever read, it held a unique and widely varied collection of facts. I found myself learning new things about science and history that I thought I should have already known, and gleaned some less necessary and slightly more 'eww' worthy tidbits that will help me interest and entertain my son as he gets older.

Uncle John's Smell-O-Scopic Bathroom Reader for Kids Only! is a wacky collection of facts and stories that gives readers exactly what they would expect when they see the cover. The facts include everything for bits about sports, jokes, bodily functions, pop culture, word origins, insects, history, and any number of completely unexpected and unrelated topics. A wonderful bit of reading in sport bursts of time, and to glean facts to amaze or disgust others with later.

Book Review: True by Eric McCarthy

True by Erin McCarthy is a 'new adult' novel that is being released today, May 7 2013. The 'new adult' genre is geared towards those in their late teens and early twenties, and tend to include more sexual or difficult context than young adult novels but might not appeal to a wide range of adult demographics. This novel is about twenty year old Rory Macintosh, a self proclaimed and fairly proud geek that is in college with plans to be a coroner. She has two, much more outgoing, roommates who help her break out of her shell and interact with other people. Tyler Mann is a tattooed bad boy that is in the girl's circle, working his way towards being an EMT in order to help his brothers survive a less than stellar home life. When it is made public that Rory is a virgin, her friends go about trying to change that for her. Can Rory and Tyler get past their differences and the challenges they face to find a solid relationship, or are their futures to different to bridge that gap.

While I am not a fan of this 'new adult' genre, since I see it as just another marketing scheme to sell books since book for this age range have been available for as long as books have been written. However, I am a fan of Erin McCarthy and wanted to see what she would do with the constraints inherent in 'new adult'. I liked McCarthy's inclusion of a college student that is geeky and good-hearted in True. Rory is struggling with the loss of her mother, the her connection with her father, but does not let her challenges dominate her life. Tyler's home life is hard, gritty, and very realistic. I loved the effort he put forth to make sure his brothers would have a better childhood than he had, and how he protects them. The honest natures of Tyler and Rory, even when they are not being honest with themselves, make them feel very real and make their crisis even more heart wrenching as I read.

The struggle between doing what is expected, what is 'right', and following the heart is something most people face at some point, and it is handled perfectly here. Although, as a practical and inked mother, I did have some issue with Tyler and his siblings not being able to afford food and the mortgage but getting tattoos and Tyler never seeming to be low on beer or cigarettes  Sometimes people do make those choices, so it was not breaking with reality, but it still bothered me.

I highly recommend True to readers that want to see how this 'new adult' genre can be done right, and those that just love a realistic fiction and romance. The characters and the situation resonated with me, although I am no longer of age with the target audience for 'new adult' books, and I felt like I was right at Rory's side through out the book.

Book Review: Spellbinding by Maya Gold

Spellbinding by Maya Gold is a young adult novel. Abby Silva is a geek, with a practically perfect best friend, a peripheral friendship with the most popular boy in school, and powerful ancestors. While doing a project for school Abby discovers that she is descended from a woman accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials and just might have her own abilities. A part time job at a small shop and her interest in her possible powers drives a wedge between Abby and her only friend, leads her to discover a boy that might just beat out her long time crush for her affection, and the chance to get much closer to holding the heart of her crush. However, much more is at stake and Abby has a lot to learn about the use of power and its dangers.

Spellbinding is not a new story. Outcast teen discovers they have power, misuses power and discovers that more is at stake than simple crushes and popularity, only to find their soul mate and live reasonably happy ever after in the end. Think The Craft, Teen Witch, and countless others. I am not saying that there is no merit to this premise, or that there is nothing new that can be done with it, just that it did not happen here. The read was okay, just not fabulous. The story started strong, but Abby quickly made me lose the majority of the interest I had in her well being. There is the requisite mean girl, but Abby is the one chasing another girl's boyfriend and flaunting her power over him before he breaks it off with the other girl. By the end of the book, I could not care less about the selfish and childish Abby but I wanted to know much more about Rem. What 'soul mate' just ignores the fact that his lady love was busy casting love spells on another guy while having lunch dates and swimming lessons on the side with him?

Spellbinding is an alright read that younger teens might enjoy. Those that lake coming of age, and particularly coming into power, stories will find some of their favorite things here. However, the main character is immature and there just is not anything new added to the well known premise.

Shhh...

I apologize for the lack of reviews. I have several brewing, and am still reading and jotting down my reactions but am having trouble getting to the point where I call those reviews done. Strep throat, stomach bugs, and a variety of illnesses and distractions have been swarming my house. However, I will be back, full force, very soon.

I am very excited to share some of the reviews of the books I have read, some have just been fantastic. So the delay is not the fault of the books, I promise. Just my ability to look at a computer screen for long chunks of time.

Picturebook Review: The Dark by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen

The Dark by is a picturebook written by Lemony Snicket and illustrated by Jon Klassen. Laszlo is a young boy who is afraid of the dark. The dark is alive and it lives in his house, but usually stays in the basement. One night it comes to Laszlo's room, but not to scare him. Laszlo follows the dark and finds that it is not something he needs to fear.

The Dark is a fabulous picturebook that deals with a very common fear. Laszlo fears the dark, and studies it's habits. But, one night he has to face the dark and his fear. I really enjoyed the simple economy of text, and the illustrations that give the words and the dark life throughout the story. This might be just the tool to help some children overcome their fear of the dark, however the notion of the dark as a sentient being might just freak out some children a little bit.

I highly recommend The Dark to those that enjoy picturebooks, and those that enjoy the slightly twisted writings of Lemony Snicket. It would work well read at home and in a storytime or classroom setting. The story and illustrations are simplistic, but carry some extra power because of that, rather than seeming to lack because of it.

Book Review: Double Fine Action by Scott Campbell

I requested Double Fine Action Volume 1 and Double Fine Action Volume 2 by Scott Campbell based on the promise of the blurb which sold me by mentioning the previous works of Scott C on Psychonauts and the promise that I would laugh like crazy.

I cannot say that I made it all the way through the digital galley of either of the comics. Perhaps bigger fans of Scott C and doublefine.com will enjoy it more than I, and hopefully the print version (rather than the digital galleys I have) are easier to read. The artwork is primarily black and white sketch-like panels. This can work, and I have seen it work, but I just found it a little lacking although occasionally charming in its own way. The text is handwritten and very difficult to make out on a computer screen or smaller e-reader. Once you do understand the text, the jokes are tongue in cheek and satirical, which is right up my alley, but it was just so hard to get to that point that I felt I could not fully enjoy it.

I would only recommend Double Fine Action Volume 1 and Double Fine Action Volume 2 to big fans of Scott C and doublefine.com.

Book Review: The Book of Deacon by Joseph Lallo and Nick Deligaris

The Book of Deacon by Joseph Lallo and Nick Deligaris is the first book in a fantasy trilogy that is an enticing read for young adults and adults alike. Myranda Celeste is a young woman orphaned by a century long war, and marked as an outcast for the distaste for said war. In her search for food, water, and shelter she discovers a fallen soldier's priceless cargo which changes her life. That discovery makes her the target of an assassin and soldiers, but leads her along a path of magic and rebellion. Men and beast will show themselves to be noble and monstrous in turn, leaving the already distrusting Myranda questioning who to trust. .Every step she takes brings her closer to her full potential, and of the fate of the world.

On the surface The Book of Deacon might seem like the average fantasy quest story. Orphaned hero discovers that they are a prodigy of some kind and destined to help save the world. Already, so that is a significant part of the story. However, Myranda's character development and the mysteries that seem to surround those she meets are engaging. Myranda is orphaned by the war, yet has not come to celebrate the deaths of the opposition, instead she would rather see peace for both sides. He beliefs and sheer stubbornness are what I saw as the force that led her to survive in a less than pleasant environment. Leo is a mystery, a shadowy figure that Myranda likes, but does not fully trust- but when she does trust anyone it tends to burn her so I find that to be a wise choice. The army's and generals, and loss of her family is shrouded in some level of mystery, and I fully expect something to make the cut and dry story Myranda believes about their deaths to be less than accurate at some point in the two books that follow.

I got sidetracked, sorry. Long story short, if you like fantasy novels you will find yourself lost in the story and world created by Lallo. I highly recommend The Book of Deacon to adults and young adults that enjoy a good fantasy story, or a classic quest. The editing is not stellar, but the character development and story make up for that lack in the long run.  I am going to purchase the next two books in the series,  The Great Convergence and  The Battle of Verril, and am looking forward to following Myranda's journey through to the end.