Tag Archive for 'N0 SPOILERS!!!'

Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation

Published on August 18, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , , , . ______________________________________

I always like to check out the debut authors. (It gives me hope :) )

So, this week I read Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation, the debut novel by Matt Myklusch.

You’ve got: Comic book-like fighting between good and evil, zombie robots, moving islands, superpowers, hence the superheroes, also bad guys that aren’t all bad, good guys that aren’t all good (which makes any story wonderful), and of course, our MC: a 12 yr old boy trying to figure out where he fits in with all of this.

Yep, I loved it. I think it’s a great book for kids who have a hard time getting into reading, because the story telling is really clear and simple–but the plot is full of wonderful fantasy and action elements, plus–a plot twist.

Oh, I love plots twists.

Also, the book looks thick, but thanks to plenty of white space, you move through it quickly, so reluctant readers can feel like, “Wow, I read all that?” and adults can enjoy it as a fast, fun, original read.

Check it out!

and have a great day,

-M♥lly

7 Comments

#amreading

Published on August 16, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , , . ______________________________________

Yes, that’s right.

I’m reading.

Review coming this Wednesday, August 18th.

Isn’t the year going by fast?????

-M♥lly

3 Comments

I’m getting married

Published on July 23, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , , , , , . ______________________________________

…err. Well, I’m already married. But I mean BOOK married.

Like I found a faithful, trustworthy friend who knows about magic and romance and laughs and charm and delight and green slime and weed killer and PLOT TWISTS.

And you know I like all those things.

sigh.

Allow me to introduce you (I think many of you have already met):

THANK YOU SO MUCH to Sandy Shin and Kari, who were genius enough to recommend this amazing book that I can’t believe I never read before.

It is now on my shelf of ABSOLUTE FAVORITES.

So clever, so witty, so unexpected…I could go on and on.

I hope you add it to your TBR list.

Also, look at this cover that doesn’t do the book any justice:

Seriously, just stick with the cover at the top of the post. That one’s more like the story. (But the story’s even better.)

Have a great weekend!

-M♥lly

5 Comments

Mistwood Review

Published on July 19, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , , , . ______________________________________

I’m on a role: two great books I LOVED in one week! The first was THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE: THE SHADOWS, and you can read my review here.

The second book is MISTWOOD by Leah Cypess. This was recommended by author Heather McCorkle, and something about her recommendation made me just go buy the book rather than get it from the library. I’m so glad I did.

MISTWOOD is a book for people who like Fantasy, you know the whole otherworld/special powers/heroic characters thing, without the 600 pages of world building.

That’s one of my favorite things about this book–it gets to the point. You totally know exactly what this story’s world looks like and who the characters are–without pages dripping with detail. Leah Cypess is supposedly a debut author, but as I was reading, I felt like the text had been crafted by a confident storyteller.

You’ve got: Misty woods (hence the title), constant mystery, a rambling castle, mistaken identity, a shape changer, courtly manipulations and intrigue, evil magicians, good magicians, oh-my-gosh-which-side-are-you-on characters, a strong female protagonist, and PLOT TWISTS.

Plenty of plot twists–which I like.

And, because I’m a nerd, I have to admit that there is this cool font they use for the title and chapters and page numbers that is like something out of a fairy tale mixed with something sci-fi-ish. I really liked it.

*clears throat* anyway…

I read on some other reviews that people felt constantly confused by this book. I disagree.
Sure, you don’t know exactly where things are going, because you’re experiencing the story as the characters do, BUT you still know what’s going on when you get there. It’s not like the descriptions or events are confusing. You’re just constantly trying to unravel the mystery surrounding the shape shifter aka the Shifter.

I give it 5 hearts out of 5. Go read it!

♥♥♥♥♥

Hope you had a great weekend.

-M♥lly

5 Comments

The Books of Elsewhere–The Shadows

Published on July 14, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , , , , , , . ______________________________________

Okay, so I really am in love today.

Really this time!

Last night I finished up THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE: THE SHADOWS, and ohmigosh it was good.

It’s one of those books where the adult in me thinks, (cue high-pitched nasally adult voice)  “Oh, I really like this story. What nice atmosphere. How unique,” and the kid in me is like, (cue my real voice) “Ahhh! That’s scary. Wow—cool. I want to do that! She did what? The end? Where’s the next book!?!?”

I was lucky enough to interview the author, Jacqueline West, HERE.


THE SHADOWS is a fast paced read set in Olive Dunwoody’s new home—a crumbling Victorian house brimming with rooms to explore and curiosities to discover. Her slightly absent minded, but brilliantly (and hilariously) mathematical parents have no clue what kinds of secrets their home holds. Olive, however, finds herself unraveling a dark and deadly mystery, aided only by three cats and a bratty boy.

Atmosphere: Really old house with hidden rooms, paintings you can travel through, cool old spectacles, creepy basements, that prickle at the back of your neck when you know something’s not right, overgrown backyards, nosey neighbors, and cats with attitude. In a word: awesome.

Language: Jacqueline West is also an award winning poet, and she has this beautiful knack for clear, concise, and completely unique description. There’s also lots of witty dialogue that kept me smiling and laughing throughout the book.

If you’re looking for a fun Middle Grade read, you should seriously check this book out. There’s also a pretty cool website for the book that includes sample chapters and clips from the audiobook: www.thebooksofelsewhere.com

Definitely 5 out of 5 hearts for this book:

♥♥♥♥♥

Have a great day!

-M♥lly

6 Comments

Beautiful Creatures

Published on July 8, 2010 in reading is delicious Tags: , , , , . ______________________________________

Why am I rocking the super-dark nail polish, you ask?

Easy. It’s a tribute to this book I read and liked. You may have heard of it:

*First off, this is not the book I was raving about Wednesday. I’m still not finished with that one. However, this is the book I read before I started reading Wednesday’s book. And I enjoyed it quite a lot. So much so that I painted my nails, as stated above.

The Bulgarian cover, which definitely captures some of that juicy atmosphere. I LOVE it.

This book is fresh–

I loved the narrator–a boy. He has this quiet strength and passion that seriously makes my heart flutter.

I REALLY liked a paranormal romance coming from the guy’s perspective. AND! Bonus! It really sounds like a guy, not a girl’s version of a guy. A real guy. Granted, a rare guy, but a real one.

This book has enough atmosphere to fill the hole in the ozone layer and then some–

Seriously. I think I am more in love with the atmosphere (steamy Carolinian humidity, mysterious and gorgeous plantation mansions, unique and crazy relatives, magic, mythology, underground libraries, etc.) than I am with Ethan (the guy narrator).

I have to admit that I wasn’t as impressed with the girl as I would have wished, but I’m holding out hope for her and I will definitely be checking out the next book: BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS. That was really the only thing that bothered me.
I loved the tension, I loved the hero, I loved the mystery.

A necklace from the story. One that reminds me a LOT of one I had in middle school. Maybe it’s time to revive it bc it’s just soooo cool.

Thanks to everyone who recommended this cool book. And double thanks to Tessa Gratton, who created a fantabulous contest that included BEAUTIFUL CREATURES as one of the prizes. (Which I won. Yay!)

.

***I HOPE to review another inspiring book on Monday. See ya soon!

.

-M♥lly

7 Comments