Building the Book Pile #273

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!  A Weekly meme inspired by Stacking the Shelves

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Hello! Hello! Happy (almost) the best month ever - OCTOBER!👻🎃☠️

I love Fall and decorations and the pumpkins and costumes it all makes me so happy so October is wonderful. I can't wait to carve pumpkins and bake and dress up!

I hope you are all having a great weekend. 

HAPPY FALL!!!

If you enjoy the blog and want to share some love and caffeine, you can buy me a coffee (IT IS PUMPKIN SPICE SEASON NOW!!! om nomnom) via Ko-fi

Share about your week with me in the comments below!

 

  Giveaways  on Cover2CoverBlog!
  


Coming up on the Blog

TBR Pile: October 2018

Early Reader Review: Up the Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc (Youth)

Trailer Blast: Death by the River by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor (YA)
Another $100 Giveaway

 

Books Received this Week

     

For Review:
Hellicious by Mina Elwell from Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors in exchange for an honest review.

This is a Whoopsie by Andrew Cangelose from Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors in exchange for an honest review.


   
Have you missed anything lately?

Week of September 23 - September 29

Giveaway: Win $100 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash

Movie Time: The House with a Clock in its Walls (PG) - 3 stars

Waiting on Wednesday: Grim Lovelies by Megan Sheperd (YA)

Recent Reads: Uncharted by Erin Cashman (YA) - 5 stars

Monthly Re-Cap: September 2018

Comment and leave me a link to your Round-up/ STS/ Weekly...anything, post and I will happily stop by and say hello!

Happy Reading!

Monthly Re-Cap: September 2018

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

SOOOOOO in a few days my school term officially starts and that means that this might be the most productive you see me on the blog for a good while. I need to re-learn time management and how to school (insert images of me crying a bit & nervously laughing).

BUT this month was great, I love the beginning of the Autumn season🍂🍁. We went to a corn maze and completed it! We bought some pumpkins - yes already! I started my fall garden cleaning and my house decorations for fall/ Halloween👻🎃  (it is all the same for me lol) and our town had a HOME GOODS open up and I am SOOOOOOO excited to buy all the things for the season. (If only I had more money...🤔)

~~Books I Read in September ~~

   
           

How did I do on my September TBR? 
I finished 3 / 4 books  - not too shabby!

~~Links to Some Reviews~~
Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge by Lisa Jensen (YA) - 5 stars
Magic Harvest (The Fairy Trafficking Series #1) by Mary Karlik (YA) - 4 stars 
Children of the Bloodlands (The Realms of Ancient #2) by SM Beiko (YA) - 4 stars
Nighty Night and Good Night by Michael Smith (Youth) - 3 stars
Uncharted by Erin Cashman (YA) - 5 Stars

Movie Time Review: The House with a Clock in its Walls - 3 stars

~~Reviews Up This Month From Previous Re-Caps~~
Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica (#1-6) by Paul Dini (Adult, GN) - 2 stars
Anna at the Art Museum by Hasel Hutchings (Youth) -4 stars
The House of Lost and Found by Martin Widmark (Youth) -5 stars
Luke and Lottie: It's Halloween! by Ruthe Wielockx (Youth)  - 4 stars 


Reviews still on their way to you:
 Coming soon in 2018 ...

Up the Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc (Youth) 
Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri (Youth)
This is a Whoopsie! by Andrew Cangelose (Youth)
Hellicious Vol 1 by Mina Elwell (GN, Adult)
Chilly da Vinci by Jarrett Rutland (Youth)
A Valentine for Frankenstein by Leslie Kimmelman (Youth)

Recent Reads: Uncharted by Erin Cashman

 Source: From the publisher and publicist in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Uncharted by Erin Cashman 

Publisher: Page Street Kids
Publication Date:  September 4, 2018

 

Format: Paperback ARC

Rating:


 




Goodreads Synopsis: 

Seventeen-year-old Annabeth prefers the fantasy of her books and paintings to reality—because in reality, her mom is dead, and it was all her fault. When she accompanies her father to the funeral of some family friends who drowned, she’s surprised to find her grief reflected in the face of Griffin Bradford, the son of the couple who died. Griffin is nothing like the carefree boy she once knew. Now he’s irritable, removed, and he’s under police investigation for his parents’ deaths.

One night following the memorial service, Annabeth’s dad goes missing in the woods, and she suspects Griffin knows more about the disappearance than he’s letting on. He refuses to answer her questions, particularly those related to the mysterious “expedition” his parents took to Ireland, where they went missing for seven months.

Annabeth fears her father isn’t lost, but rather a victim of something sinister. She launches her own investigation, tracing clues that whisper of myth and legend and death, until she stumbles upon a secret. One that some would die to protect, others would kill to expose—and which twists Annabeth’s fantasy and reality together in deadly new ways.

Review:  
Sometimes you pick up a book expecting one thing and getting another and that is horrible - but sometimes you are blown away by how amazing it really is. The latter is this book, I expected a mystery and an emotional roller-coaster of teenage grief after the death of some family, but what I got was so much cooler than that.  

Uncharted is a little bit of everything I love in a YA book - it was a mystery, a thriller, a romance, and a fantasy story with mythology all rolled into a neat little package. Every time I picked it up I was thrust into this semi-realistic world with so many moving parts that I was pulled from my reality completely and I would read for hours. I had to put it down to savor it. It was such a fun read.

The main character is Annabeth and she has a few mental issues after her mother's death, now she is dealing with the grief of losing additional family friends. While in the midst of memorials her father goes missing and then the story explodes into a cop show meets fantasy/mythology. The twists were perfectly timed throughout the book and the obvious romance was done in a way that made the reader wonder if anything was even going to happen and I liked that uncertainty. 

The overall story and world building were a delight and the story arc was so well done. I could have read this book in one sitting but did space it out, but it was so hard to put down. The world that Erin Cashman created was epic on so many levels and while I think this is a stand-alone, I would love to learn so much more about this portal to a mystical place.

If you like a good mystery this is a great book with so many redirections but if you also love fantasy it is also a great book for you as well.

Waiting on Wednesday: Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

Grim Lovlies by Megan Shepard
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 2, 2018

Synopsis: 

Seventeen-year-old Anouk envies the human world, where people known as Pretties lavish themselves in fast cars, high fashion, and have the freedom to fall in love. But Anouk can never have those things, because she is not really human. Enchanted from animal to human girl and forbidden to venture beyond her familiar Parisian prison, Anouk is a Beastie: destined for a life surrounded by dust bunnies and cinders serving Mada Vittora, the evil witch who spelled her into existence. That is, until one day she finds her mistress murdered in a pool of blood—and Anouk is accused of the crime.

Now, the world she always dreamed of is rife with danger. Pursued through Paris by the underground magical society known as the Haute, Anouk and her fellow Beasties only have three days to find the real killer before the spell keeping them human fades away. If they fail, they will lose the only lives they’ve ever known…but if they succeed, they could be more powerful than anyone ever bargained for.

From New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd, Grim Lovelies is an epic and glittering YA fantasy. Prepare to be spellbound by the world of Grim Lovelies, where secrets have been long buried, friends can become enemies, and everything—especially humanity—comes at a price.

Why I Am Waiting:
I have been following this book on social media lately and I think it is going to be a breathtaking fantasy. The cover is gorgeous and I am very interested in the characters already :)

Movie Time: The House with a Clock in its Walls

Sometimes I watch something that is not a comparison for Movie Monday, but I want to share my thoughts about it, so Movie Time!

BUT this movie is based on a book - I just have not read it, so let me know in the comments if you have and how it stacks up. 

The House with a Clock in its Walls

Release Date: September 21, 2018

IMDB Info

Rating:

Review: 
The House with A Clock in its Walls seemed like a movie I would be SO into. It is about magic and a house that comes to life and I was so excited to go see it and overall it was pretty good, but not the greatest movie I have seen. 

I have not read the book but know that it is based on one, so I am interested how it compares; however, I don't have the time to pick it up right now. So the movie as a stand alone is what it is. 

The movie follows a young boy, Lewis, who goes to live with his uncle after his parents pass away. The house that he now lives in has secrets and is magic and Lewis is excited to live in such a cool place and learn all about it. As most kid books/movies go, Lewis gets lonely and wants to impress a friend and releases something super evil that is looking to destroy the world. 

The magic and the jokes throughout this movie are what made it a good movie for me, but my husband thought it was really bad. So it won't be for everyone. It is rated PG and there are a lot of name-calling bits and sometimes some things are pop-out scary but I think the rating fits well. 

Overall, I think that this movie had the potential to be so much more, but as it stands it was an enjoyable few hours for me.

Giveaway! Win $100 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash

Good Morning! 

Today I am helping share an awesome giveaway! Enjoy!

 

 An amazing group of authors has joined together to bring you one great prize! Just think how many books you could buy with $100! Or maybe you need a new Kindle! Or maybe you want to try Kindle Unlimited! So many possibilities!! Please show these amazing authors some love! Visit their sites. Sign up for their newsletters. Download their books. Review their books. Follow them on Social Media. There are so many ways you can support them!

Giveaway Sponsors

Bree Livingston Crissy Sharp Debra Erfert Elana Johnson Evangeline Kelly Heather Gray Heidi Kimball Jenna Brandt Jennifer Griffith Jewel Allen Jo Noelle Joanna Barker Joyce DiPastena Kaylee Baldwin Kennedy Larsen Kristen Ethridge Laura D. Bastian Lorin Grace Marie Higgins Tiana Smith

Now it's time for the giveaway!  

One winner will be awarded $100 in Paypal Cash or a $100 Amazon Gift Code! 

Winning entry will be verified! Make sure you actually subscribe and confirm your entries so you don't get disqualified. If you already subscribe to an author's newsletter you can, of course, claim the entry!    

Giveaway Details 

$100 Amazon Gift Code or $100 in Paypal Cash Ends 10/28/18 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter, Amazon, Paypal or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. The giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader/Clean Wholesome Romance and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Brought to you by:

Building the Book Pile #272

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!  A Weekly meme inspired by Stacking the Shelves

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Good morning wonderful people whom I adore so much! Just a week until school starts but I am feeling good. I was able to read my first chapter and get some homework done early so I hope to keep that up through the term. I also got a binder together :) I love school supplies. And today we are headed to Staples so that I can look at all the supplies and see if there is anything else I need (yes NEED not want, bc I want ALL the things).

I also got some reading done this week and hope to have another review up this week for you, but in case I don't I have a review of a movie for you instead. You will probably see more of these as I have to read for school and am going to need more non-reading down-time activities.

I hope you are all having a great weekend. 

HAPPY FALL!!!

If you enjoy the blog and want to share some love and caffeine, you can buy me a coffee (IT IS PUMPKIN SPICE SEASON NOW!!! om nomnom) via Ko-fi

Share about your week with me in the comments below!

 

  Giveaways  on Cover2CoverBlog!
 
Coming up on the Blog

Giveaway: Win $100 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash
Movie Time: The House with a Clock in its Walls (PG)
Waiting on Wednesday
Recent Reads: Uncharted by Erin Cashman (YA)
Monthly Re-Cap: September 2018

Books Received this Week

   

For Review:
Confessions of a Teenage Leper by Ashley Little from Librarything Early Reviewers program and Penguin Random House for review.


   
Have you missed anything lately?

Week of September 17 - September 22

Early Reader Review: Nighty Night and Good Night by Michael Smith (Youth)- 3 stars

Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway! Children of the Bloodlands (The Realms of the Ancient #2) by S.M. Beiko (YA) - 4 stars

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway: An Unexpected Adventure by Kandi Wyatt (YA)

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway: Peet The Creature with Big Feet by Leo Aquino (Youth)

Comment and leave me a link to your Round-up/ STS/ Weekly...anything, post and I will happily stop by and say hello!

Happy Reading!

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway! Peet the Creature with Big Feet by Leo

About the Book 
Peet is a big footed creature who is always on the run. He’s constantly hiding because he’s scared of what the other animals may think of him and his big feet. He can barely sleep at night because his struggle with insecurities never rests.

One night he was so tired from running that he managed to fall asleep. The next morning Peet wakes up and spots an unusual sight. He sees Squirrel and other animals heading west together. Peet decides to hide and wait for the animals to head over the hill where they could not see him.

Though when Peet feels secure with the animals gone, he spots a forest fire heading his way from the horizon. With no hesitation, Peet quickly runs towards the water to save himself. But when he has a moment to reflect, he realizes that he’s done something awful. He’s left all the animals behind who know nothing about the forest fire heading their way. Peet had to make a choice: Stay put and be safe? Or, head back and save the others?

Peet takes a deep breath and makes the right call. With the power of his large feet, he makes it back to the group of animals before the fire is able to. He tells the animals that a forest fire is heading their way and there no time to waste. The animals panic, but Squirrel comes up with a great idea. He suggests that Peet use his big feet to smash a large rock blocking their only exit. Peet steps up and gives the rock a great kick and breaks it with one swift hit.

Peet heroically leads the group of animals straight to safety over the water. Seeing rain clouds heading directly over the forest fire makes the group feel a sense of relief.

Squirrel reassures Peet that he shouldn’t be ashamed of his feet and it’s ok to be different. All the animals in the forest are unique too. Peet never has to hide again because from now on they are all friends.

*EXCLUSIVE KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN*

Leo is running a KICKSTARTER Campaign for PEET, THE CREATURE WITH BIG FEET from now until October 15th.

Peet, the Creature with Big Feet

Leo Aquino is raising funds for Peet, the Creature with Big Feet on Kickstarter! A children's book about a Bigfoot who is self conscious about how large his feet are.

   

 

About the Author

PHOTO CONTENT FROM LEO AQUINO

Leo Aquino grew up in the Bay Area. As a boy, he loved drawing his favorite cartoons, such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dragon Ball Z. He hoped that someday he could grow up and draw for a living. Now, he is lucky to have been working as a professional artist for eleven years. From Disney Interactive to Jam City, Leo has had the opportunity to illustrate iconic characters such as Snoopy and Charlie Brown, Belle & the Beast, and the whole cast of Monsters Inc. to name a few.

Most recently, Leo was inspired by his many nieces and nephews to write and illustrate his first children’s book, “Peet, the Creature with Big Feet.” Leo hopes that his art and stories can inspire the next generation to shake off their fears and follow their dreams.

When Leo is not illustrating, he loves longboarding and making pizza in the Napolitano style. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his girlfriend and their cat, Charlie.

Find the Author

WEBSITE / TWITTER / GOODREADS / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM 

Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

 1 Winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

ENDS: OCTOBER 9, 2018

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway!: An Unexpected Adventure by Kandi Wyatt

An Unexpected Adventure by Kandi Wyatt
 
Publication Date:  September 25 - 
AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER NOW

 

Synopsis: 

Protect their community or protect their discovery?

For eighth graders Chace, Harley, Will, and Cherise, that’s a life-changing question after they find a dragon’s egg while hunting for thundereggs on the beach. Toss in summer jobs, family struggles, and a National Security Agent, and their summer vacation just became complicated.

Can they find a solution that won’t leave their hearts broken or their community in flames?

http://aurorasbookbutterflies.com/kandi-giveaway/

About the Author

Kandi J Wyatt is a wife, mother of five, teacher, artist, and author. In her free time, she enjoys writing fantasy stories and Christmas programs, and drawing with graphite and colored pencils. Portraits are her specialty. Kandi also enjoys photography, thanks to her photographer husband who has let her join his journey as both his model and apprentice, and she occasionally serves as his assistant when he needs a “light stand with feet.” 

Find the Author

Blog / Facebook/ Twitter/ Pinterest/ Instagram / Google + /Amazon Author Page / Goodreads