Book Review: Candlewax by C. Bailey Sims

Candlewax, by C. Bailey Sims, is a young adult fantasy novel. Catherine is sixteen years old, and a princess. When her father, the king, announces that she will marry the king of Candlewax Catherine is less than thrilled. She has never met the man and knows nothing about him, including his age. So, Catherine sets off into the woods, with some supplies and her grandmother's amulet, and goes in search of her future. Little did she know that her future involved an ancient prophesy, a fairier cat the size of a horse, and fighting evil. That cat is tightly tied to her country's very survival, but he is the last of his kind there. As they travel together to fulfill the prophesy and bring more fairier cats home, the meet a cast of characters that either help or hinder them as they race towards their fate. 

I am unsure how to begin with Candlewax. I enjoyed the story, so lets start there. Catherine is a plucky character that has a will and mind of her own. Cyril, the king of Candlewax, is a thoroughly good guy, but still comes off as realistic even though he is a little too perfect. The other characters, even some unimportant background characters, are also very well-defined. The book changes from a few different points of view, but this is done well and helps the reader understand the larger picture of what is happening.

The world building is really well done, including widely varied environments and people. I loved some of the world elements, like the burning trees in Candlewax. However, there were a couple of moments when I found myself checking the page count to see if I was at the end yet. Not because I was not enjoying the read, but because it felt like a very long read even though it was not. It seemed like there were a few viable points where things could have been wrapped up, but there was another fight or something else that needed to be done first. Then, there was the promise that more evil plots would be hatched. 

 I can recommend Candlewax to readers around eleven to fourteen, and older readers that enjoy epic fantasy. Readers that like battle scenes and creative world building will particularly enjoy the story. There is some violence, but very little in way of romantic contact, so there is not much to keep the younger set to pick this up. This was an enjoyable read, with some very promising elements.

K is for Killing - A to Z Challenge

K is for killing, particularly killing off characters. Do you get upset when a favorite character is killed off in a book? Sometimes it is necessary for the story, to motivate other characters and to keep things moving. But there are times that I mourn for these characters as if I really knew them. Come on, fess up. You know your were upset when Dumbledore died. When the series ended, and the big picture was revealed, it was shown to be a needed moment, but one that still made me sad. There are other times when these death carry a certain satisfaction, like when the evil villain or henchman dies. And there are still other times when the killing off is so necessary that it does not even register, like the start of a mystery or moment when things go from bad to worse.

The emotions these killings in stories cause are as widely varied as how they are killed. I trust the writer to lead me where they want me to go, and know that there is a reason they take the path they do. I find that if a story can make me feel anything strongly, good or bad, that it is a story worth reading. If a character killing is part of that, well I might not accept it gracefully at first, or even necessarily agree with the choices made, but I will respect the writer for the work that they have done.

When you need to write in a death of a character, or just want one to die in your story how do you handle it? Do you worry about readers being upset, or do you relish the upset it causes?

Early Book Review: 'The Mommy Diaries' by Dallas Louis

The Mommy Diaries: How I'm Surviving Parenting without Killing Anyone by Dallas Louis had me laughing so hard one night that my husband came in the bedroom to check on me. Any mother that has ever felt overwhelmed will find humor, and some sheer gratefulness for what they have, in this book. Being a mother is a full-time job, complete with wonders and horrifying moments that can break one down. This book is a look into one mother's daily life, with three children all within twenty-six months of each other. None of these kids are twins. One baby is hard, three in diapers at the same time can be beyond challenging. Add in trying to maintain a healthy relationship with a spouse, home renovations, and life in general and Dallas Louis's adventures in motherhood made me laugh and cringe at the same time. The kindle version of this book is already available, the paperback edition will be released on May 1 2012.

See me full review here on Yahoo! Voices.

Book Review: Valentino Finds a Home by Andy Whiteside

Valentino Finds a Home, written by by Andy Whiteside and illustrated by Catherine Hnatov, is a picturebvook scheduled for release on April 15 2012. Valentino is a guinea pig looking for a home. Born in Bolivia, where he could be considered lunch, Valentino gets himself in shape and stows away in a suitcase to flay to a new home. The suitcase's owner was far from thrilled to see him, and he is brought to a pet store, and soon finds himself as a birthday present for Maddie. Finally Valentino is recognized for what he is, a guinea pig and a wonderful pet.

Valentino Finds a Home would be a great choice for a family with a guinea pig, or as part of a surprise that includes one. The mention of guinea pigs being eaten in Bolivia might upset some children, if they pay enough attention to note that their favorite pet might be someone's favorite midnight snack. However, the fun illustrations of Valentino at the gym and swimming to prepare for his escape will quickly lighten the mood. The rhyming phrases sometimes fall flat, or feel forced, but the story as a whole works. The images are cute, and compliment the story nicely.

J is for Joy- A to Z Challenge

After yesterdays post, I needed to change focus a little. So today, J is for Joy. Joy might seem allusive, if you focus only on the big moments of joy. But, joy can be found every single day. I woke up this morning, which might not seem joyful at first glance, since per usual it was far too early. However, on waking I was able to get up, get my children and myself up, dressed, and fed.

My husband, children, and I are all healthy and able to be up and moving every single day. This is cause for joy, because there are so many that are lacking the most basic things that I take for granted- like the children that wake me every morning. There are people that long for children, a partner, a family. The fights the kids have each morning about breakfast might drive me to distraction, but we have enough resources for there to be choices. Some people do not have enough to eat a breakfast at all. Never mind the discussions about lunch, snacks, and dinner. All of the minor annoyances of each day include more little things that I can find joy in, if I just take the time to see.

I greatly dislike public speaking, but today I am joining with other parents and taking my turn talking about my job at my children's school. Instead of focusing on the trepidation I have about the situation, I should recognize the joy that I can gain from the fact that I have a job to talk about in during career month. I should take joy in the fact that I have the time and capability to do this, even though it does not instantly fill me with delight. I will take a moment and enjoy the joy it will bring my son.


I bet you can find joy in today too. And I bet I will get back to books and writing themed discussions soon too. Although finishing that book that I can not seem to read until after everyone is in bed will bring me great joy this evening, even as I work to find joy in each of the distractions.

I is for Infuriating, A to Z Challenge.

I is for infuriating.  What do I find so troubling that I am writing about it in the early morning? Well, many things, but in this case it is people. Not all people, but the mob mentality and people that refuse to respect other people. I am huge on respect, lack of respect is a sure way to push my buttons and infuriate me. I respect people until they prove to me that I should not, and then I will still treat them with the respect and courtesy that I want in return. It drives me insane when people treat others badly because of their appearance, beliefs, culture, or for no reason at all.  I do not care if we look different, if we think differently, talk differently, want different things, or anything of that nature. People are people, and underneath everything we are the same. The only thing that will change my respect level for you is how you treat yourself and others. If you show me that you have no respect for others, or yourself, then I am not likely to respect you in turn, but again I will treat you they way I want to be treated. Because that is what i want, and how my parents raised me.

The current culture has me wanting to kick people, but I won't. I respect others that have strong convictions and live their own lives by them. What makes me angry is when they insist that everyone else live by them as well. Yes, there are some things everyone should follow, like not hurting other people, but the specifics of when people do in their personal lives should not be up for public debate. I do not understand why one set of beliefs should hold sway over the way others practice religion or choose not to.

I hold firm in the belief that I should treat other people with love and respect as long as it does not put anyone's well being at risk. If I believe that something will put myself or another in danger, then I will speak up and try to remove the person in danger from the situation. However, it is not my duty to judge others in their actions, beliefs, lifestyles. etc. It is my job to be the best me I can, and to love them. That means letting them live their lives, be true to themselves, and be happy. Just because our visions differ, it does not mean that their views are any less valid than my own, or anyone else's.

This is completely not where I wanted to go with this, I was set to write about cultural prejudices and got a little sidetracked. I will get back there latter this month, maybe for my P post. Because I want to mention a few books and how some people enjoy spending time looking for things to be offended by. Another day.

Early Book Review: Who Lives Here? by Kathleen Rizzi

Who Lives Here? by Kathleen Rizzi is a lift the flap board book scheduled for release on April 15 2012. This is not a new idea, but it is done well. On each page there is a selection of different pets and a typical home for one kind of pet and the question of who lives there. When the flap is lifted, the answer is revealed, with the respective pet in its home.

Puppies, fish, kittens, birds, and hamsters often share our homes. Who Lives Here? will entertain babies and toddlers with the pictures of the cute animals and the matching to the appropriate homes. Again, it is not an incredibly new idea, but most babies and toddlers will not care about that. They will just enjoy the cuteness and chance to play with the flaps.

H is for Hope- A to Z Challenge

H is for hope. No story or even day, is complete without some level of hope. No matter how pessimistic I can be, or you might be, there is always a part of us that hopes that the worst we might be imagining does not come true. The same is true when reading a book or watching a movie. Even when everything seems to be building up to a catastrophic moment, you hope that your favorite character will come out on time, or at least survive. Sometimes it does not happen, just like in real life. But when we get to the last page, there is usually some level of hope that the future of the characters will be better, just like in real life. When we pack it in for the day, there is an innate hope that tomorrow will be a better day, even if we do not acknowledge it.

Hope is what keeps us, and the characters of any story moving forward. The hope that a solution will present itself, that a plan will work, that romance will turn out well, that a problem will be solved. Without that drive they would just sit around and complain. Granted, some characters do that to, but that was covered in my angst post on the 1st.

Have you ever reached the end of a book or movie that had an ending with no hope at all? A story that basically ended with the world over, or all the characters you cared about dead, or just with so much unresolvable that there is no way you can see for things to fix themselves? It is not comfortable moment or ending, and certainly not one I enjoying. It does have its place, and can be en effective ending to deliver a message. It is the very uncomfortable nature in the absence of hope that can make those moments or endings real to the reader.

I still prefer an ending that has a glimmer of hope, even if it is a dim hope. I like to end each day and start each morning the same way, with at least a glimmer of hope that the next moment will be better than the last. And that even when things are at there worst, there will be a moment in the future that is better.

G is for Glitter A to Z challenge

G is for glitter. Now in a blog about books, and my latest musings glitter might be a strange choice. But think about glitter. It is tiny, but can make everything sparkle. It can also make a huge mess and take forever to clean up. One glitter laden project or glitter spill can result in glitter being found through out a home or car for years, possibly longer. Emotions, ideas, inspirations, and habits can be the same way. Any of these things can alter and color your work, your very attitude for just about ever if you do not take evasive action.

Now, some of this can be good, much like controlled glitter use. The right amount can perfectly accent something and make it truly yours. It can also stay with whoever takes the time to enjoy your work or that encounters you, sending some of that glitter onwards. Your words, writing, smile, actions, work can continue on in those you encounter. Sending the thoughts and attitude you carry with you onto who ever they come in contact with next, and so on. Your creative writing or artwork can make someone think, and trigger them to talk about it or the ideas and feelings it triggered in them. A smile, or frustrated sigh, can change the mood of the next person in line, or the person waiting on you coloring the next few minutes of their lives, and the those of the people they come in contact next. So while writing a non fiction piece might not seem glitter laden, you could be helping someone achieve their own goals for the day, making them smile and passing on some positive glitter.

So use your glitter to advantage. Your sparkle can change the world, so lets all try to use it in a positive and productive manner. Unlike a small child, or two, with a shaker bottle of glitter and  glue stick run a muck.

Book Review: Magdalena Volume 1 by Ron Marz, Nelson Blake II, Ryan Sook

Magdalena Volume 1 is written by Ron Marz, and illustrated by Nelson Blake II and Ryan Sook. This is a collection of the first volume of Magdalena stories. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, the Magdalena is a direct female descendant for Mary Magdalena and Christ that stands as a warrior and defender for the Roman Catholic Church. The current Magdalena, Patience, has her doubts about the virtue of the men in the church giving the orders and has distanced herself from their influence though continuing to fight demons and evil where she finds it. Patience is drawn back to again work with the church as demons seem to hunt for her and the threat of the Anti-Christ on earth and making his play to claim us all seems to be real. Will Patience live long enough to stop the danger and discover who is pulling the strings?

Magdalena is not a well-known story to those that do not follow Witchblade. However, the set up in this collection gives significant background so that new readers will not feel like they are missing anything. The reason for Patience's distrust of the current church is not explained, but it really does not need to be for the story to flow well. Kristof, Patience's mentor that aides her and works to reunite her with the church, seems to harbor a little reservation about the church's leadership as well, which will not shock people who have been paying attention to the church and politics in recent years.

The art in Magdalena is beautiful and captures the details of mood, storyline, and individual emotions perfectly. Readers of other popular Image titles will not be surprised, since the artwork is what I expect from their team of writers and artists. They consistently release stories with adult themes, strong heroines, and fantastic artwork. I have yet to be disappointed with the artwork for any Image Comic releases, and this holds true here as well.

I recommend the Magdalena Volume 1 collection to graphic novel and comic fans that have enjoyed Witchblade, Spawn, and similar works. Readers that enjoy graphic novels with strong women, conspiracies and scary children will all enjoy this as well. Those that would be offended by the violence or twist on religious teachings are not likely to be looking forward to this title, but they would be the only people I suggest skip this title.