Book Review: Have You Seen my Dragon by Steve Light

Have You Seen my Dragon by Steve Light is a picturebook that explores counting and numbers along with the fun of a search and find. In the city a small boy is searching for his friend. Readers of all ages spot the glorious beast along with a variety of big-city icons they can count. Is the dragon taking the crosstown bus, or breathing his fiery breath below a busy street? Maybe he took a taxi to the zoo or is playing with the dogs in the park. 

Have You Seen my Dragon has lovely pen and ink illustrations which results in a stylized blend of black and white page with pops of color. Searching for the dragon invites young readers to count to twenty as we spot the dragon hiding (not very well for the most part) in the daily finds of city life. I really loved the detailed artwork, and both my children could spend significant time enjoying this book. The lines and hidden details really made me smile, as did the fun counting and antics of the dragon. This book is well worth a look for the artwork alone, but it just might trick some reluctant counters to get some practice in.

2014 Hugo Award Winners Announced!

The 2014 Hugo Award winners have been announced! The 2014 Hugo Award winners were announced on Sunday evening, August 17, at the ExCel Converntion Centre in London, England.  Text-based CoverItLive coverage of the ceremony was provided through the Hugo Awards web site.

Here are this years winners:

BEST NOVEL Ancillary Justice, by Ann Leckie

BEST NOVELLA “Equoid” by Charles Stross

BEST NOVELETTE “The Lady Astronaut of Mars” by Mary Robinette Kowal

BEST SHORT STORY “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere” by John Chu

BEST RELATED WORK “We Have Always Fought: Challenging the Women, Cattle and Slaves Narrative” by Kameron Hurley

BEST GRAPHIC STORY “Time” by Randall Munroe

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, LONG FORM Gravity written by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón, directed by Alfonso Cuarón

BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, SHORT FORM  Game of Thrones “The Rains of Castamere” written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, directed by David Nutter

BEST EDITOR, SHORT FORM Ellen Datlow

BEST EDITOR, LONG FORM Ginjer Buchanan

BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST Julie Dillon

BEST SEMIPROZINE Lightspeed Magazine edited by John Joseph Adams, Rich Horton, and Stefan Rudnicki

BEST FANZINE A Dribble of Ink edited by Aidan Moher

BEST FANCAST SF Signal Podcast, Patrick Hester

BEST FAN WRITER Kameron Hurley

BEST FAN ARTIST Sarah Webb


JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD FOR BEST NEW WRITER
Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2012 or 2013, sponsored by Dell Magazines (not a Hugo Award) Sofia Samatar

See the Final Ballot Details for a full breakdown of votes, subsequent placements, and nomination counts.

Early Book Review: Dino-Boarding by Lisa Wheeler and Barry Gott

Dino-Boarding by Lisa Wheeler and Barry Gott is the latest in a series of picturebooks about dinosaurs performing sports, and is currently scheduled for release on September 1 2014. Team Green Machine battles the Shredding Crew in a dino-boarding competition. Allo and Diplo thrill the surfing crowd, while Compy comes up short on a short board. Next, Iguano, Raptor, and the Ptero Twins fly high on skateboards. And who will win the snowboarding half-pipe? Tricera and T-Rex each think they'll take home the prize. Let's hope the dinos remembered their helmets since these tricks might get gnarly!

Dino-Boarding is the newest book in the popular series featuring dinosaurs competing in a variety of sports. This book focuses on surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding. The cartoonish dinos wear their helmets and compete hard, playing fairly to win. The pages are colorful and bright, catching young readers eye. There are many details in the illustrations, so the book can withstand multiple reads.

I would recommend Dino-Boarding to young readers that love dinosaurs and or sports. The illustrations are bright and a bit stylized, and will appeal to many young readers.

Book Review: Secrets of the Book by Erin Fry

Secrets of the Book by Erin Fry is a middle grade novel with a great premise. Sixth grader Spencer Lemon's mom is big on volunteering, which means Spencer does plenty as well. While volunteering at a nursing home he makes friends with Ed, who in turn hands over a very special book without the chance to explain all the necessary details. The book contains famous dead people who can be brought back to life. Unfortunately Ed goes missing and some less than trustworthy characters seem to be popping up with extreme interest in the book. And it’s up to Spencer, along with Gregor and Ed’s mysterious (and cute) granddaughter Mel, to protect the book and save the world.

Love the idea behind Secrets of the Book. The characters are interesting and well fleshed out. I really loved the inclusion of Gregor as a very capable young man, and an asset to the group.The friendship between Gregor and Spencer is well done and feels real. Spencer's eye condition gives him a challenge to overcome, but despite being mentioned regularly did not seem to have much other impact on the story besides in the building of his character. The mystery behind the book and the wondering about which historical figure would pop up next was intriguing as well. However, I will admit that my interest in the book started to wan about half way through. It is not that there was not any action, there were chases and intrigue a plenty. But for some reason my interest started to waver. I put the book down, picked it up again, and so on. I am not sure exactly what was not working for me either. The mystery was there, good characters were there, and I was curious to know what happened next- but several times I was just not curious enough to read instead of cook dinner or pick up my latest crochet project. This means that I got behind on my reading schedule and frustrated with myself, and less interested in the book.

Secrets of the Book did not grab me like I hoped it would. I think some middle grade readers will love it, and think it might inspire some to expand their circle of friends, since friendship is a major component of the book. I think it might also encourage some readers to do some research about the historical figures mentioned or taking part in the book.

Book Review: The Toothless Tooth Fairy by Shanelle Hicks and Anca Delia Budeanu

The Toothless Tooth Fairy by Shanelle Hicks and Anca Delia Budeanu is a picturebook about a Tooth Fairy contest for the best smile. Bella is the nicest, and prettiest tooth fairy and everyone is sure that she will win the contest. Zelda, a not so nice fairy, does everything she can to ruin Bella's chances the meaning of true beaty is revealed. 

The Toothless Tooth Fairy has a cute story, nice illustrations, and a few good messages. Bella is the perfect tooth fairy. She is sweet, kind, and of course beautiful. However, when Zelda uses some magic dust to cause an accident Bella loses a tooth and decides that she cannot win a beautiful smile contest without the missing tooth. Not too thrilled with that reliance on beauty, the evil cackling by Zelda, or pure little Bella's leaving IOU's while pulling out kids teeth, but in the end everyone is shown that inner beauty is more important than physical beauty. There is still a bit of a odd feeling that the story makes appearance very important, despite the message about inner beauty, more so than the kindness or intelligence that I want my daughter to value. I do give the book points for lovely artwork and including a very diverse cast of fairies.

The Toothless Tooth Fairy was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I loved the artwork, the diverse group of characters, and the intended message. However, I think the message lost a little bit of it's impact because of the sheer importance of both Bella and Zelda's appearance, even at the very end. 

Early Book Review and Giveaways: The Laird by Grace Burrowes

The Laird by Grace Burrowes is the third book in the Captive Hearts series. This historical romance is currently scheduled for release on September 2 2014. While reading the previous books can give you some great insight into a few of the characters, each book in this series can also stand on its own. After years at war Michael Brodie returns to his Highland estate to find that the bride he left behind has become a stranger. Brenna is self-sufficient, competent, confident-and furious about Michael's prolonged absence. Brenna is also hurt, bewildered, and tired of fighting for the respect of those around her. Michael left her when she needed him most, and then stayed away even after the war ended. Nonetheless, the young man who abandoned her has come home a wiser, more patient and honorable husband. But, if she trusts Michael with the truths she's been guarding, he'll have to choose between his wife and everything else he holds dear.

If you have read my previous two reviews of books in this series, The Captive and The Traitor, then you know that I enjoyed The Captive and liked The Traitor even more. Well the trend has continued. I had trouble putting The Laird down on several occasions when I relly needed to do important things like get my kids to camp in the morning or myself to work in the morning or to bed at night.  Michael is a compelling character, and has had me curious through the previous books. He is strong minded and determined, but bares some scars and emotional baggage. He is loyal to a fault, and honest with himself and others. A great hero on several levels, including some inner scars and flaws you do not fully understand until the very end. Brenna is my favorite heroine in the series. She has overcome huge obstacles and still does her best to help everyone regardless of how they feel about her. She is resilient, and honest to herself. The pacing of their romance is just wonderful, no assumption of affection, rather a true romance including wooing. 

I would recommend The Laird to everyone that enjoys historical romance and main characters that come into the story with emotional scars. Readers that have enjoyed other books by Burrowes should label this a must read. It has a true love story and multiple subplots running that all come together beautifully.  

Now for the giveaways! First, the official giveaway from Grace Burrowes and her publisher:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And for a second chance to win, I also happen to have a full set of paperback galleys of this series at home. Would you like a chance to win them? Well, then enter this giveaway too:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Captive of the Deep by Michelle M. Pillow

Captive of the Deep is the third book in the Lords of the Abyss series by Michelle M. Pillow. Merman Rigel the Hunter has prayed for an end to his people's curse. Immortality comes with a high price, loneliness. When he rescues Lyra Harne from drowning, her fate is in his hands. Living in the lost city of Atlantes, women are rare and this sexy mortal is more than this hard up warrior can resist. Lyra was sailing wit what was left of her family. believing that her rescuer is to blame for the death of her father and brothers Lyra refuses to speak until Rigel can break through her defenses. However, the truth of Lyra’s shipwreck just might prove too much for both of them.

Honestly, Captive of the Deep is the reason I kept reading this series. I wanted to know the story behind the ship of people in period clothing and the silent woman that was rescued from its destruction. Lyra was my favorite of the three heroines, and Rigel was a wounded alpha male that was her perfect match. If you made it through the first two books, then keep going since this is the best of the three and offers a lot of questions about the Scylla that sink the boats and reason the hunters are so diligent in their efforts to stop them.

If possible, I suggest skipping straight to Captive of the Deep, rather than reading the whole series. If you are not into books with tons of sex, or mer, or usually do not enjoy Pillow's work then skip it. However, if you like any of these things you might want to give Captive of the Deep a chance. it is still not a great book, but it is good for a steamy night's read.

Book Review: The Traitor by Grace Burrowes

The Traitor is the second book in the Captive Hearts series by Grace Burrowes. This historical romance is part of a series, which gives you details about some of the characters in previous books, but it is not necessary to read the books as a series. Each has the power to stand on its own.  Abandoned in France since boyhood, despite being heir to an English barony, Sebastian St. Clair might be the heir to an English barony, but after a childhood in France he was forced to make very difficult choices to survive a tour of duty in the French Army. He returns to England and a beloved aunt with the hope of living a quiet life, but old enemies insist on challenging him on the field of honor, one after another. Millicent Danforth desperately needs her position as companion to the Traitor Baron's aunt to escape a less than pleasant family situation. She comes to learn that Sebastian must continually fight a war long over. As Sebastian and Milly explore their growing passion, they uncover a plot that could cost Sebastian his life and his honor.

I almost wish I had not read The Captive before reading The Traitor. Why? Well because I was not sure that I could like a hero that did what he had done to survive in the French army, the choices that he made to protect himself, his family, his friend, and his countrymen even though they were on opposite sides of a deadly war. I came to the book with preconceived notions of a few characters.  However, it did not take me long to feel sympathy and even respect for St. Clair. He turned out to be a wounded, but honorable, hero. Milly had her own troubles and challenges, dealing with the almost expected overbearing family that cares more about what she could do for them than what she might need never mind want. The only fault I could find with Milly is that she trusted a little to easily, but she seemed to chose the right people to trust so I should just grant her the characteristic of being a good judge of character. I really liked the development of the relationship between Milly and St. Clair. The slow but steady pacing of that combined with the underlying plot to get St. Clair killed and the complicated relationships between some of the characters kept me reading eagerly. I the end I enjoyed The Traitor more than The Captive despite my initial concerns. 

I recommend The Traitor to readers that enjoy Burrowes' work, those that like historical romance, and those that enjoy books that have intrigue and subplots. If you like The Captive, or found it left you a wee but underwhelmed, do not give up on the series! This book is even better, and the couple chapters that I have read in The Laird (the third book in the series) promise to continue the trend.

Heads up, I will be posting a giveaway for the complete series as soon as I have my review of The Laird written. There is also an official giveaway, which you can enter as well. I will post them both very soon!

Book Review: Commanding the Tides by Michelle M. Pillow

Commanding the Tides is the second book in the Lords of the Abyss series by Michelle M. Pillow.

Cassandra Nevin has come to the ocean to live out her days on a boat with a bunch of scientists who don’t even know she is terminally ill, or that she is not even a scientist. When something from the depths of the abyss attacks their boat she knows it’s her time and is ready. But then the unimaginable happens, she lives. Iason the Hunter does not understand why the woman he is trying to save insists that he save anyone but her. To try and save her would mean possible disgrace and being banned from ever swimming in the ocean again. But what else can he do? From the first moment he saw her, she had command over his heart.

Commanding the Tides, like The Mighty Hunter, has plenty of inventive sex. This book also has the benefit of a heroine that I like. Cassy is ready to die, she has made her peace and rolls with the punches pretty well. She excepts some of the paranormal bits pretty easily, but takes some more convincing with the rest. Being at deaths door has her with nothing to lose, and living life to the fullest. it is only when feelings and real life get too close that she is uncertain. Iason is a strong hero, willing to risk everything to save the life of a woman he barely knows but feels so connected to.

Commanding the Tides is far from perfect, but is a step up from The Mighty Hunter. However, I would still only recommend this book (and series) to die hard mer fans, Pillow fans, or those that are reading for the 'good parts'.

Book Review: Drynn by Steve Vera

Drynn is the first book in the Last of the Shardyn series by Steve Vera. Montana police chief Skip Walkins is hot on the trail of a murder suspect when he witnesses a drifter free the Lord of the Underworld. Across the country Gavin's past comes to haunt him and threatens his fiance Amanda. All of this comes to pass because seventeen years ago five knights from Earth's magical twin entombed Asmodeous the Pale, Lord of the Drynn, in Skip's town. Now that the dark god is free again, he's anxious to get back home and finish the war he began and to enslave all life. It begins with killing the knights who trapped him. Deprived of their magic, the knights fight back using whatever they can get their hands on. Skip is drawn in to their struggle while Donovan Smith, the demi-god murderer whom Skip was after in the first place, plots to find the Lord of the Underworld and butcher him on his own. Together, these unlikely heroes might just save the world.

Drynn is a book that left me torn. I loved the characters and the depth of which was given to them. the story and the action were all very interesting and I liked the concept and the execution for the most part. However, I was left feeling a little underwhelmed when I was finished. As the first book in a series I understand the need to build the world and set up the concept needed for the story to move forward, but there were times where I just felt like there was too much of an info dump. too many situations, facts, and confrontations happening too quickly. I like a fast pace, but there just seemed to be too much going on all at once. It was still an intriguing book, and I am not sure what to suggest to improve it. Perhaps once I digest all of the action and information a little more thoroughly I will have a better way to describe the book and what I feel about it.

If you like descriptive, information and action packed urban or high fantasy with plenty of both character development and fight scenes the Drynn is for you. I really enjoyed most of the book but felt both over and under whelmed with the book as a whole. Definitely worth a look, but I am still struggling to come up with the right way to describe my feeling for the story. I will likely read the next book in the series, to see where we go from here.