Book Review: I Love You Just Like This! by Lillian Jaine and Ernie Kwiat

I Love You Just Like This! is a Sesame Street picturebook by Lillian Jaine and Ernie Kwiat. This sweet book features Elmo and other favorite characters as the go through a variety of ways people can love you. 

I Love You Just Like This! is a sweet picturebook about love that also deals with the concepts of counting, colors, depth, and more. Combining some basic concept knowledge with the fun message of how much a mother lovers her child, or how much anyone can love those dear to them, is nice on several levels. The familiar characters and bright colors will capture the attention of Sesame street fans and keep it. 

I Love You Just Like This! is a well done picturebook. The concept and execution are well done, even if it is not a new concept or extremely original. It would make a good bedtime or snuggle time read with your favorite little monster. 

Book Review: Lovers at Heart by Melissa Foster

Lovers at Heart is the forth book in the Love in Bloom series and the first of The Bradens,  by Melissa Foster.  Resort owner Treat Braden is used to getting what he wants. Max Armstrong  sparked an unfamiliar desire in him for more than a one-night stand, leaving his heart reeling and his blood boiling. But one mistake caused her to turn away, and now, after six months of longing for the one woman he cannot have, he's going home to try to forget her all together. Max Armstrong has a successful career, a comfortable lifestyle, and she's never needed a man to help her find her way, at least until Treat Braden caught her attention at a wedding in Nassau. Max will do anything to avoid reliving that pain; including trying to ignore her attraction to Treat.

Lovers at Heart follows the pattern of most Foster books. wounded but still strong, intelligent characters try to fight the attraction for each other and then give in. Treat is an alpha male with loads of money, a solid work ethic, and a close family. Max is a strong woman that has gone through a horrible relationship in the past and feels both fear and guilt because of it. They come together, fall apart, and in the end find their happy ending with plenty of foreshadowing of how other Bradens will find and struggle with love in the future. It sounds simple, and repetitive. However, the characters are fairly complex even if consistently damaged in similar ways.

Lovers at Heart, like most Foster books, are like your favorite snack food. You start one, and crave more and more. However, when you look back you wonder why you enjoyed it so much but still cannot stop yourself for starting the next one and still craving more. Addictive romance, so if you have already read some you will likely keep going even without reading a review.

Book Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Soulless is the first book in the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger.  Alexia Tarabotti is not your average girl. She has no soul, she is also a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. When she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette, she triggers an investigation with the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf). With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart? 

Soulless  is a fun blend of paranormal romance with mystery and steampunk. The character development of Alexia and the world building done are both perfectly paced. Alexia is practical and smart, with little fear and much curiosity. While she does lack some important desire for self preservation, her willingness to investigate is what gets the reader so personally invested in the adventure. Lord Maccon and the rest of the other characters made me laugh and had me grinding my teeth in turn. I liked that even the most seemingly stereotypical character was anything but. While I did expect one of the little twists, the execution and following drama was oh so worth it.  It was just such an engaging, fun read that I already have the next book ready to go and waiting for my attention.

Okay, I am officially now a fan girl for Gail Carriger. I adored the world of the Finishing School series, and just had to go back and read this series, which started it all. I have to say, that the Parasol Protectorate series promises to be even better. Go, read, now.

Early Book Review: Princess in Disguise by E.D. Baker

Princess in Disguise is the forth book in the Wide-Awake Princess series by E.D. Baker.  It is currently scheduled for release on March 31 2015. Annie and Liam's wedding day looks as if it's going to be perfect. Then everything starts to go wrong. Liam's father doesn't show up, members of the wedding party come down with strange afflictions, Annie's gown is ruined, a storm floods the castle grounds, and an unknown king lays siege to the castle.  Only Annie and Liam can get past a magical fog to find Moonbeam, but even after they find her, it’s up to them to discover who cast the spells that ruined the wedding, and why the unknown king wants to conquer Treecrest.

Princess in Disguise holds up to the action and adventure of the previous installments of this series. I will admit to feeling like I missed a book or some details from the series when I first started reading, and it is because I did somehow miss reading The Bravest Princess, which was recently released. Even with the gaps in my knowledge, I caught up quickly and really enjoyed the read. Anne and Liam face troubles and step up to solve the problems. Each conflict they face is defeated with wit, grace, and courage rather than brute strength or violence. I find that rare in adventure stories and really like that about this series. Anne's unique power of magic immunity again plays a big role, and I liked that we finally saw what Liam's magical talent was as well. Another great story from Baker to capture the imagination and entertain.

Princess in Disguise is a wonderful middle grade fantasy adventure for fans of E.D. Baker. Anyone that is current with this series will find this another must read. If you have missed previous books in the series I do recommend reading the backlog first, not only so you understand all the players, but also because they are simply good reads.

Authors of Young Adult Fantasy You Need to Read; And Have Your Teens Read, Too

Novels intended for the young adult market are increasing in quantity, subject matters and in some cases quality. Many of the authors writing fantasy in this market are simply a pleasure to read, while still challenging the reader to think and grow. Here are some of the authors that everyone, teens and adults alike, can enjoy.

Tamora Pierce is a prolific young adult fantasy writer that has released a number of related series and is still going. Her first novel was Alana; The First Adventure which was the first book in the Song of the Lioness quartet. This first series was geared towards slightly younger group, nine to twelve year olds. Then came the Immortals quartet, Circle of Magic quartet, Protector of the Small quartet, Circle Opens quartet, the Trickster series (only two books), Will of the Empress, Melting Stones, and finally the Beka Cooper series. All of these books happen in the same universe, the same counties with intersecting storylines, but still each book or series can be enjoyed without having read all of the books.

Pierce's main characters tend to be young women, though there are male main characters in the two Circle quartets. All of her characters are realistic, with doubts and questions about the world, and really come to life as you read. The reader really does care what happens, not just to the main characters, but all the smaller characters and the worlds of the books as a whole. Additionally, most of her books can me found in Full Cast audio format, which is a simply amazing way to get a reluctant reader, or long distance commuter to enjoy her writing. If you read and enjoy her work then I suggest also trying Maria V Snyder, Shannon Hale, and Robin McKinley.

Neil Gaiman is another contemporary writer that is great for both young adults and adults to read. Some of his best works, in my opinion, include Coraline (made into a major motion picture), Graveyard Book (winner of the 2009 Newbury Award), American Gods, Neverwhere (made into a miniseries on BBC), and Mirror Mask (made into a motion picture). He is also know for

the Sandman graphic novels and Stardust (made into a major motion picture). He also collaborated with Terry Pratchett on Good Omens. Gaiman has an imagination that I am both envious of and glad that I don't have on dark, spooky nights. He always makes me very concerned for his characters, and I like that many of the characters are flawed, like real people, even when faced with things well out of the ordinary. For those of the audiobook set, Gaiman narrates his own audio books and he does a phenomenal job with inflections and pauses just where they should be. Authors I'd recommend are Terry Pratchett and Garth Nix.

My third recommendation is Madeleine L'Engle. Most of us have heard about the Newbury Award winning A Wrinkle In Time series, but have you read it? It is a fantastic set of books, and was just a small portion of her work. She wrote at least sixty books before passing away in 2007. Many of her works combine fantasy with some science. Her work was consistently entertainment while touching and easy to connect to for ever person that has ever just not fit in, and isn't that everyone? Other authors you might enjoy include Margaret Mahy, Lois Lowry and Kate DiCamillo.

There are still several authors of this genre that are just amazing, but to list them all, and tell you anything about them, would take up too much space. However, I can't seem to leave this topic without also recommending Lloyd Alexander, Holly Black, Charles de Lint, Rick Riordan, and Michael Buckley.

Early Book Review: Me, Too! by Annika Dunklee and Lori Joy Smith

Me, Too! by Annika Dunklee and Lori Joy Smith is a picturebook about two friends which is currently schedule for publication on April 1 2015. There are many reasons why Annie is best friends with Lillemor, who is from Sweden. They have so many things in common that they spend as much time together as possible. But then Lilianne, a new girl from France, arrives. Annie can't stand that Lillemor has become friends with Lilianne, and that Lilianne seems to have more things in common with Lillemor than Annie does; like their names, which both begin with "Lil", and speaking a real foreign language! Has Annie lost her best friend forever?

Me, Too! is an honest and funny picturebook that children can easily relate to. when new friends, siblings, or anyone really comes into their lives they can feel threatened. This book captures the rhythms of children's relationships and emotions, while reminding them that there's always room for new people in their lives. The artwork is playful and makes good use of dialogue bubbles to enhance the text. The use of Swedish and French, complete with translation, makes it good for introducing foreign languages to the younger set and help them recognized that even if we cannot understand another persons language we are really not all that different from each other.

I think that Me, Too is a fun and funny story about friendship that will speak to readers of all ages. who hasn't been in a relationship that suddenly felt fragile of challenged when another person was added to the equation? This book can help that feel a little less scary, and help them include others in their friendships a little easier. The story can be used to help ease the transition of a new student into class, and to help children be more accepting of those that are different.

Early Book Review: Cursed by Ice by Jacquelyn Frank

Cursed by Ice is the second book in the Immortal Brothers series by Jacquelyn Frank. It is currently scheduled for release on March 31 2015. while each story can stand on its own, I think it works better if the books are read in order. As punishment for plotting with his brothers to steal immortality, Garreth is suffering a freezing torment. Every night he is frozen into a chiseled ice sculpture only to thaw and resume the chilling torture. Until, like his older brother Dethan, he is offered a reprieve from a goddess in exchange for his allegiance in a celestial civil war. While laying siege to an embattled city he meets a beautiful warrior woman named Sarielle, who commands a mythic beast through a mysterious and powerful bond. Can Gareth earn her trust, and should he, when he will have to leave again to do battle in service to a goddess?

Cursed by Ice is a good follow up to Cursed by Fire, it had the same drive and pace as the first book, and the same level of emotional depth. I liked that Garreth and Sarielle each had their own problems and complications through out the story, and that for the most part they did actually talk about them. One of me biggest issues with romance novels is when a very simple conversation could have avoided the story in its entirety. I could feel for each of the characters, even the secondary characters, and understand why they made they choices they made even when I did not agree with them. Frank held true to my expectations and gave readers strong, intelligent characters facing huge obstacles and finding their way through. Garreth has more honor and emotion through out this story than characters in some other stories display through an entire series, which makes him awesome. Sarielle is generally strong, with a few exceptions, but her heart and honor are her most enduring attributes throughout the story. I am eager to see how the third brother overcomes the odds in the next book.

Cursed by Ice is a good follow up to Cursed by Fire, and I think fans of Frank will enjoy it and be as eager for the third book as I am. I am hoping that I can get my hands on the ARC of the next installment soon, like tonight, but I do not even see a title yet on Goodreads so I suppose I will have to wait.

Early Book Review with Quiz, Excerpt, and Giveaway: Fairy Tale Reform School: Flunked by Jen Calonita

Fairy Tale Reform School: Flunked by Jen Calonita is the first book in a new young adult series. It is currently scheduled for release on March 3 2015.  The series starts with the premise that Cinderella's wicked stepmother, Flora, has founded the Fairy Tale Reform School with the mission of turning the wicked or criminally mischievous into upstanding members of Enchantasia. Gilly might only be 12, but she has a history of petty theft and she's not too sorry about it because she steals to help support and feed her family. When she lifts a hair clip, she gets tossed in reform school-for at least three months. Fellow students Jax and Kayla help her learn that there is more to this school than its advertised mission. There's a battle brewing and she starts to wonder: can a villain really change?

Fairy Tale Reform School: Flunked is a solid begin to a series that has promise. There are strong characters and many possible follow up story lines to keep people reading. Gilly is a thief with a good heart. She steal to put food on her family's table, and while she resents the wealthy for the way their choices have affected her family, she is not malicious.  When she enters the reform school is expecting the worst, but finds friends and some good intentions as well. Of course there is also a mean girl, because what school related novel can be without one? There is danger, mystery, and many layers of action to keep readers guessing. While some of the twists were not incredibly surprising, it was a fun and entertaining ride. The ending left me satisfied with a conclusion, but it also left enough room and interest for me to be curious enough to be on the lookout for the next book. 

Fairy Tale Reform School: Flunked was a solid middle grade to young adult book. There are many adults that will enjoy the book as well. Anyone that likes books with a hint of magic, twists on characters you think you know from fairy tales and nursery rhymes, and coming of ages stories will find something to interest them here. There is character growth and some fun adventure as well as moments of drama, mystery, and suspense. I look forward to seeing where this series will go from here.

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Jen Calonita is the author of the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series and other books like Sleepaway Girls and Summer State of Mind, but Fairy Tale Reform School is her first middle grade series. She rules Long Island, New York with husband Mike, princes Tyler and Dylan, and Chihuahua Captain Jack Sparrow, but the only castle she’d ever want to live in is Cinderella’s at Disney World. She’d love for you to drop her a line at jencalonitaonline.com or keep the fairy tale going at http://books.sourcebooks.com/enchantasia/

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Excerpt from Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School-

There’s a boy up there, standing on the crystal chandelier! He has slightly curly blond hair and is wearing a uniform—­a navy sweater vest over a white shirt with khaki pants—­but his boots are muddy. He’s stepping on priceless crystals with cruddy boots? Is he insane?

“Jax! What are you doing up there?” Kayla whispers heatedly.

“I’m cleaning the crystal for Flora,” Jax says and rolls his eyes. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m making

a break for it.”

Kayla applauds. “Yay! This time I know you can do it.”

I shade my eyes from the light bursting through the stained-­glass window next to the chandelier Jax is perched on. “Busting out? Why?” I ask Kayla. “I thought you said this place was cool.”

Jax laughs loudly and looks at me. I feel slightly stunned. I’ve never seen violet eyes before. “FTRS was fun for a while, but strange things have started happening and I don’t want to be here when something bad goes down.”

Strange things? What kind of strange things? Why does Kayla suddenly look pale?

“He’s exaggerating,” Kayla tells me, but she doesn’t sound convincing.

Drip. Whatever Jax is holding is leaking. Kayla and I move out of the way so we don’t get wet. “Grease,” Jax explains to me. “It lubes the window.” He swings the chandelier, and as it nears the window, he uses a fork to try to pry the window open. “A few more tries and I’ll have it.”

“Then what are you going to do, genius?” I ask. “You’re two stories up.”

Jax’s eyes gleam. “I’ve jumped from higher spots before.”

“It’s true,” Kayla says to me. “Jax once jumped from the gym to the dining hall turret. That was three stories up. We call him the Escape Artist. One time he even managed to break into Azalea and Dahlia’s rooms and borrowed their keys to the indoor pool so the whole dorm could take a midnight swim.”

“Impressive,” I tell him. “And I thought I was good at tricking obnoxious royals.”

“She stole a dragon’s tooth clip from one this morning,” Kayla fills him in.

“Nice,” Jax says. “Your first pull?”

“No, I’ve been doing it for a while,” I brag.

“Me too,” Jax says. “My father is a farmer. You can only get so far trading vegetables. I needed to kick things up a notch.”

For some reason, I don’t think any of us are going to make the transformation Headmistress Flora is looking for. “Why do you want to break out so bad?”

“I’ve got places to see, and Enchantasia isn’t one of them.” Jax swings the chandelier so hard the crystals clang together. The window latch pops open, and I watch Jax leap from the chandelier to the tiny window ledge. I’m in awe. Jax looks down at us smugly before pushing open the window. “Are you sure you two don’t want to join me?”

“There’s no time for us,” Kayla says. “Get out of here. Wait!” Her eyes widen. “You deactivated the alarm on the window, right?”

“There isn’t one,” Jax insists. “If there was, I wouldn’t be able to do this.” But when Jax lifts the window, we hear:

EEEEEE! EEEE! EEEE! Unauthorized exit! Unauthorized exit!

The shrieking sound is so intense that Kayla and I cover our ears. Within seconds, Flora is out of her office and running toward us.

Swoosh!

I feel something brush past me and I whirl around. When I look up at Jax again, a large, muscular man with a long mane of hair is hanging on to the window ledge, his furry hands pulling Jax back by his shirt. How did the man get up there without a ladder?

“Mr. Jax,” the man says in a low growl, “we really must stop meeting like this.”

Fairy Tale Reform School Quiz Link: Fairy Tale Reform School Quiz

If you get sentenced to Fairy Tale Reform School, it will help to have an ally. Take the quiz and find out who your mentor would be.

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Book Review: Of Shadow and Stone by Michelle Muto

Of Shadow and Stone by Michelle Muto is a gothic or paranormal fantasy. Gargoyles were created centuries ago to protect mankind but something went horribly wrong. Now only the sentinel, a mortal chosen to control the stone beasts, stands between them and their human prey. Kate Mercer is destined to be the next sentinel. But she has a skyrocketing film career, a delusional ex-boyfriend, and a crazed stalker who will stop at nothing to get to her. However, Kate is transported to Shadow Wood, a mysterious castle that serves as a sanctuary for the supernatural. Shadow Wood is beautiful but no safe place for a mere mortal. Yet Kate is drawn not only to the gargoyles but also to Ian McGuire, a charming novelist who might be in the greatest danger of all.

Of Shadow and Stone is a novel with a little bit of everything. There is a gothic feel to the whole story, with mysterious people and creatures that have even more mysterious intentions. Readers first meet Declan, the Lord of the Netherworld looking fore a replacement sentential. He thought his friends and author Ian might be the perfect candidate- but he has a different fate in store for him. Kate is the chosen sentinel, if she will accept the responsibility. Throw in some supernatural creatures running around Shadow Wood, a stalker, and a delusional ex boyfriend and you have a good idea of what this book holds in its pages. Despite the number of intense things happening, and the variety of viewpoints the story is told from, you still get characters that are multidimensional and some serious suspense. It was an intriguing read, and one I was afraid to look away from because I might miss something. I still feel a bit like if I go back and read it again I will get more from the book, and perhaps a completely different story.

I would highly recommend Of Shadow and Stone to readers that enjoy paranormal fiction and gothic stories. While there is a romance tied up in the story, it does not over shadow the suspense and supernatural aspects of the story. A great read for those that feel like they are trapped in a rut, or keep reading the same basic story over and over. This is something different and unique. 

What Should You Read Next? Great Resources to Help Decide

I am often looking to read book by new authors or on new topics. Reviews and suggestions help, as does stopping in a library or local bookstore and browsing the shelves or asking the staff for suggestions, but sometimes I still feel at a loss. Here are some resources to help you decide what to read next.

NoveList is a resource available through public libraries to help readers find authors, titles, award winners, and author biographies. There is an author read alike search feature that allows you to search their database for authors that have similar writing styles to authors you already know and enjoy. Other services offered include book discussion guides, genre outlines to help you read more great books in your favorite genre and a popular fiction list, which gives suggested titles for just about ever genre.

BookBrowse is another reader's advisory website available for use by patrons of subscribing libraries free. Readers can search for new reads by genre, age group, geographical setting, theme and time period. Like NoveList, there is a way to search for authors that you might like based on your previous reads. 
No matter what you are looking for, be it something very specific or a vague desire for anything good, you will find suggests that meet your needs.

Overbooked is a website for readers. It specializes in literary, genre fiction information, and readable non-fiction. The site offers booklists by genre, starred review lists, author connections, and a social space for readers that often have overflowing piles of books to read but still can not stop looking for more, myself included. What I love about this website is that it is run completely by volunteers, so all reviews and suggestions come from people that truly love books and reading.

If none of these sites have helped, you find another book to read then there are still several options. Websites like Good Reads, Library Thing and Visual Bookshelf on Facebook can also help you decide what to read next based on you reading habits. Book clubs, librarians and random browsing in a library or bookstore can also yield good results. In the end, only you can decide what you like, but here are some tools to help you choose your next book, or bookshelf in my case.