Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at Notorious Spinks Talk Books this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
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I definitely haven't been doing this every week but I haven't needed to. I tried to have a lighter load for summer and spend as much time as possible outside. These are some of the goodies that came in the last two months. I hope you've had plenty of great reads at your house!

The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg
For review from Goodreads First Reads (arc)

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voight
For review from NetGalley (ebook arc)

Deadtown by Nancy Holzner
From Paperback Swap

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Free with coupon from Kobo (ebook)

The Troop by Nick Cutter
For review from Goodreads First Readers (arc)

The Angel Stone by Juliet Dark
For review from LibraryThing (arc)

Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman
For review from NetGalley (arc)

Rude Bitches Make Me Tired by Celia Rivenbark
For review and giveaway from St. Martin's

Review: Special Dead by Patrick Freivald

Surviving high school has never been so hard.

Shackled to her desk, Ani Romero has a hard time concentrating on her studies. One of eight zombie survivors of the Prompocalypse, she's back at school, but this time it's no secret. Locked in their room, flamethrower-toting soldiers watching their every move, they're tasked with homework and classes during the week, and macabre experiments on the weekend.

When the courts rule they're not human, only an appeal keeps them alive long enough to discover a cure. College applications and SATs pale under the threat of incineration, and desperation turns them into lab rats... ...but the scientists helping them have ulterior motives, and the promised cure destroys more than the virus.
(Goodreads.com)
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Review
Wow! I didn't know where this book could go after the ending of the first book but great job! I'm so curious if there could be more. I really liked the direction of the story. It gave a different take on the traditional zombie story. The scientific explanation and legal issues were interesting but not too complicated for the reader. The writing is very well done and I found it hard to believe this was a male author. The protagonist was female and very believable.

I liked the characters and empathized with them. The people that were infected weren't "monsters" or hopeless cases but had a horrible medical condition. The different relationships was also complicated and interesting. Some people were torn between how they felt about those who were infected and how they are told to feel. Obviously there is extreme danger but the undead maintained their personalities, feelings and ambitions. How can they just written off so easily by those who love them? I was very impressed by the relationship between Ani and her mother Sarah. They had a fierce, unconditional love and would do anything to protect each other.  As the leading authority on ZV (Zombie Virus), Sarah has made it her life's work to cure and save her daughter and holds many secrets.  There are authorities happy to exploit them and their very life hangs in the balance.

As in the first book I loved recognizing real places near where I live. It was creepy but exciting! This story also had plenty of action that led to another great cliff-hanger ending. Freivald has a talent for leaving the reader hungry for more. :D (Get it? I HAD to do it!)

Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers for an arc ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Release date: 7/12/13
Publisher: JournalStone
Pages: 260 (paperback)
Type: YA

Review: Twerp by Mark Goldblatt

It's not like I meant for Danley to get hurt. . . .

 




Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes about the terrible incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background, though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.

Inspired by Mark Goldblatt's own childhood growing up in 1960s Queens, Twerp shines with humor and heart. This remarkably powerful story will have readers laughing and crying right along with these flawed but unforgettable characters.
(Goodreads.com)
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Review
I don't know if I would have chosen this book on my own but I'm glad I did. The story is told in journal style by twelve year-old Julian, the main character who is growing up in the 1960s. This is an assignment in response to an incident he was involved in that's not revealed until much later. Although he's not happy, he takes to it and the events slowly unfold that led up to the suspension. That may have been the teacher's main intention but I found the rest of his life more interesting. Details of  friendships, budding romance, school and home were well done and it took me back to my own middle school days, the good and the bad. The characters were interesting and quirky (I do  love quirky), and more mischievous than malicious. Peer pressure is definitely a factor when the boys get together. The struggle to make the right decision but still fit in weighs heavy on young minds.

I enjoyed following Julian's growth and introspection throughout the school year. I really liked reading the journal entries, I just didn't find them very believable coming from a boy that age. It was too well written. I still found it to be a good story and would recommend it to others. 

Author
Publisher  
Thank you to NetGalley for an ebook arc in exchange for my honest review.

Release date: 5/28/13
Publisher: Random House for Young Readers
Pages: 288 (hardcover)
Type: middle grade fiction

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :
1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Letter to my children 

Dear Children,
I am your dad. The father of all five of you pale creatures. Given how attractive and fertile your mother is, there may be more of you by the time you read this book...
So why a book? Well, since you've come into my life you've been a constant source of entertainment while simultaneously driving me insane.
~pages 3 & 4
Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

Review: Jinx by Sage Blackwood

 In the Urwald you grow 

up fast or not at all...

In the Urwald, you don’t step off the path. Trolls, werewolves, and butter-churn riding witches lurk amid the clawing branches, eager to swoop up the unwary. Jinx has always feared leaving the path—then he meets the wizard Simon Magnus.

Jinx knows that wizards are evil. But Simon’s kitchen is cozy, and he seems cranky rather than wicked. Staying with him appears to be Jinx’s safest, and perhaps only, option. As Jinx’s curiosity about magic grows, he learns to listen to the trees as closely as he does to Simon’s unusual visitors. The more Jinx discovers, the more determined he becomes to explore beyond the security of well-trod paths. But in the Urwald, a little healthy fear is never out of place, for magic—and magicians—can be as dangerous as the forest, and soon Jinx must decide which is the greater threat.

Sage Blackwood introduces a daring new hero for an innovative new world as Jinx is joined by friends, battles enemies, and discovers life beyond—and even within—the forest is more complex than he can imagine, and that the Urwald itself needs him more than he could ever guess.
(Goodreads.com)
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Review
I've always loved this type of book and this one didn't disappoint. The cover said for fans of Septimus Heap, Fablehaven and the Sisters Grimm. I have enjoyed the Septimus Heap and Harry Potter series so I was drawn to this. Who doesn't love a wizard? It has a similar theme of a young boy who develops a connection to magic but it has it's own unique twists. The lines between good & evil are blurry as he discovers more about himself and where he truly belongs.

The writing is well done and the lore and mystery kept my attention. I was transported to another place and time. The characters are well developed and their back stories are suspenseful and gradually built upon with secrets revealed later. The forest itself is even an important character.

I hope there will be more to this story. I want to know what happens next and I would be happy to follow Jinx into more adventures.

Thank you to HarperCollins for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Release date: 1/8/13
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 368 (hardcover)
Type: middle grade fantasy

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at 4 the LOVE of BOOKS this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
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I've been trying really hard to stay away from too many new books so I can catch up on what I have. I did pick up a few (of course) and only a couple from the library. I can't resist! Hope some great reads found their way to your house too!

Sweet Salt Air by Barbara Delinsky
For review and giveaway from Wunderkind (paperback)

Substitute Creature by Charles Gilman
For review from LibraryThing Early Reviewers (arc)

Sanctus by Simon Toyne
Free from Barnes & Noble Free Friday (ebook)

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal
For review from NetGalley (ebook)

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at Mari Reads this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
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During this last week I've finally been able to sit outside in the sunshine and enjoy a book. Finally! I haven't dared put up the hammock yet but I did sweep off the porches and get most of the outdoor furniture set up. It feels so good to feel the sun and breath the fresh air while I read. I can't wait for the trees and hills to turn green! I hope you are having a terrific Spring and plenty of good books have found their way to your home!

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
For review from Crown Publishing (arc excerpt)

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein
For review from HarperCollins (arc)

The Breath of God by Jeffrey Small
Free from Barnes & Noble Free Friday (ebook)

Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich
For review from William Morrow (arc)

The Lost Husband by Katherine Center
For review from LibraryThing Early Reviewers (paperback)

The Ghost and the Graveyard by Genevieve Jack
Bought from B&N (ebook)

The Emperor's Knife By Marzarkis Williams
Free from B&N Free Friday (ebook)

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
For review from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (arc)

Review: The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck by Emily Fairlie

 

 Tuckernuck Cluckers, 

brave and true!

 




Tips for solving the treasure challenge created by your crazy school founder over eighty years ago

By Laurie Madison and Bud Wallace, Grade 6

1. Be suspicious of student journalists. And maybe janitors, too.
2. Make friends with your ancient school librarian. If her blue hair freaks you out, get over it.
3. Be prepared to sing like an angel or, at the very least, like a pirate.
4. Never underestimate the usefulness of furry rodents (especially flesh-eating ones).
5. Avoid the English wing. Seriously. You don't want to go there.

Using a unique blend of notes, lists, and classic prose, The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck tells the story of Bud and Laurie's quest to find the infamous Tutweiler Treasure. They're hot (or at least lukewarm) on the trail of clues, but time is running out—the school board wants to tear down Tuckernuck Hall. Can Bud and Laurie find the treasure before it's lost forever?

Emily Fairlie's memorable caper combines timeless mystery with humor in a treasure trove of wry wit, thrilling adventure, and undeniable heart.

(barnesandnoble.com) 
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Review
This is an enjoyable middle grade read that includes humor and mystery. With a chicken for the school mascot (the Tuckernuck Cluckers!) you know there are going to be some funny moments. Laurie and Bud are new 6th graders at this unusual school and not off to a very good start.  In fact, Laurie is planning to transfer to another school as soon as possible but coming from a family of Clucker alumni makes that tough. When she and Bud as forced into an unlikely partnership they discover the first clue to the school's hidden treasure. As an exciting adventure unfolds, Laurie develops a new outlook on the school and their quest is off at a frantic pace with a deadline looming for demolition day. 

The details of the treasure hunt are quite interesting and the characters begin to adapt and grow. The more they learn about the history of Tuckernuck Academy the more their priorities change and the less selfish their motives become. The references to famous authors and artists, as well as the illustrations and copies of notes and emails, were a fun addition. The quirky humor was my favorite element. This is an enjoyable story for adults as well as young readers! 

Author
Publisher 
Thank you to HarperCollins for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Release date: 9/25/12
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Pages: 256 (hardcover)
Type: Children's fiction/middle grade

Mailbox Monday (late)

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at chaotic compendiums this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
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Here I go complaining again but I can't get rid of this damn snowy mailbox. It's snowing right now! It sure is great reading weather though. 

Last week was all about children's books and we are loving them already. There's nothing better than snuggling with the little ones and enjoying a story or two - or three! I hope you have some great reads and warm weather at your house!

*(I was having internet issues yesterday and couldn't post this so I'm doing it today.)

Lisa Loeb's Songs for Movin' & Shakin' by Lisa Loeb
For review and tour from Sterling Publishing

The Big Bad Wolf Goes on Vacation by Delphine Perret
For review from Sterling Publishing

Nighty-Night, Sleep Tight by Jennifer Berne
For review from Sterling Publishing

Itch by Simon Mayo
For review from Sterling Publishing (arc)

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt
For review from NetGalley (ebook)

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at Lori’s Reading Corner this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
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Boy, it's been a while since I've done this and I've got plenty of things to catch up on. December is always so hectic than when the holidays are over I just veg out and have a hard time getting back into the rhythm of ... everything. I did get some goodies in the last month that were mostly ebooks. Even with the hundreds I already have I still can't resist some of the free ones but I've cut way back! Here's some of what I got recently. I hope Santa brought you plenty of good books too!

The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell
Won from Curl Up and Read (arc)

Who's Spying on You? by Sofge & Coburn
For review from Sterling Publishing (arc)

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz
Free from Barnes & Noble (ebook)

From Notting Hill With Love...Actually by Ali McNamara
Free from Barnes & Noble (ebook)

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
From PaperBack Swap (hardcover)

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
For review from Macmillan (arc)

 Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins
Free from Barnes & Noble (ebook)

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday (started at The Printed Page and now a traveling meme) is at BermudaOnion's Weblog this month and is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

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Busy, busy, busy! But not really getting much accomplished... You how this time of year gets - from Halloween on it's a flurry of birthdays and holidays. Last week we had our grandson's first birthday. I thought the time went fast with my own kids but I think it's going even faster now! Then we hosted a family Thanksgiving dinner at our house and hubby cooked a delicious meal. I was in charge of clean up and I'm still doing dishes. I even got in some Black Friday shopping with a friend - from my comfy couch on the computer. I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving week and are finding lots of bargains too.

Now I'm trying to catch up on a few things while the house is quiet. I've got great books to read, reviews to post and a giveaway or two coming up. These are some of the books that arrived over the last few weeks. It's quite an interesting mix! What books found their way to your house?

Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan
Free from Kobo (ebook)

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Free Quickie Bundle from Amazon (ebook)

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Free Quickie Bundle from Amazon (ebook)

Murder Passes the Buck by Deb Baker
Free from B&N (ebook)

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
Won from Fishmuffins of Doom (arc)

The Covenant by Beverly Lewis
Free from B&N (ebook)

Jinx by Sage Blackwood
For review from Harpercollins (arc)

My Robots by Johan Olander
For review from author (hardcover)

Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride
Free from B&N (ebook)