Building the Book Pile #151

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

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 


HELLO Lovlies! I hope you had a great week, mine was very productive :) I read a few books and wrote reviews for them (all already posted - because I have no self control with timing). I finished painting the trim in the spare room and it is pretty much ready for guests coming to visit for Labor Day weekend :)... and well really that is about it, but all great things to get done! Yay! How about you? Do anything fulfilling this week?

What's Happening?! 

How was your week ? Let me know in the comments.

  Giveaways Going on This Week!

Woohoo! Finally Some Giveaways!

 

Coming up on the Blog...

Early Reader Review: Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith (MG)

Monthly Re-Cap: August 2015

GIVEAWAY! Paperback Release of Who R U Really? by Margo Kelly (MG/YA)

Early Reader Review: Max the Brave by Ed Vere (Youth)

      

Books Received this Week

Library Books 

A few of these are to finish out my Library's Summer Challenge :)

       

EBooks 

   

 The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone from Netgalley and Redhook in exchange for review.

Wicked Luck (Wicked Luck #1) by Shannon Maynard - Free for Kindle on Amazon (when I got it) - this cover makes me swoon :D

 Stay! A Top Dog Story by Alex Latimer from Netgalley and Peachtree Publishing in exchange for a review - already reviewed, see below 

 

Have you missed anything lately?  

• Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway! Tom Thorneval Dream Merchant Extraordinaire by Cornelius Elmore Addison (MG) - 4 stars
• Early Reader Review: Stay! A Top Dog Story by Alex Latimer (Youth) - 5 stars
• Recent Reads: Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone (YA) - 5 awesome stars!
• Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway! The Banished Craft by E.D.E. Bell (Adult/YA)- 4 stars
• ARC August Weekend #5 Re-Cap- The End (Wa Wa WAaaaaa)

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!

ARC August #5 Weekend Re-Cap

 
ARC August Weekend #5 (The Last Weekend):

Saturday Preview and Re-cap

Happy August!

It is finally time for me to get things rolling with ARC August and I couldn't be more excited to do it. I have 6 books that were in my goals list and so many more from Publishers that I would love to get to!

In these last few days I hope to start and finish...

  Sacrificed by Emily Wibberley

  

I finished a few shorter books this week and a few for Blog Tours so there wasn't a lot of ARC August progress, but ARCs were read that weren't on the list. Which is fine.

     Reviews are up! Go check them out :)
Stay!
Every Last Word
The Banished Craft
 

Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway! - The Banished Craft by EDE Bell

Welcome to my tour stop for The Banished Craft by E.D.E. Bell!  The tour runs August 18 - September 1 with reviews, interviews, guest posts, excerpts and giveaways.  The Banished Craft is a fantasy novel and is written for adults but is appropriate for mature young adult readers.   This is the first book of the Shkode series and releases on September 1, 2015.

Synopsis

The Banished Craft is a genre-bending fantasy saga that follows the adventures of Cor, a woman caught in a dying world that does not accept her, and Atesh, a dragon scientist who's been asked to violate his own ethics or put the lives of his family at risk. Follow their trials as they deal with a shattered world, mired in political upheaval, while they try to rediscover a lost magic. The Banished Craft begins the Shkode trilogy: a quirky and modern take on dragons and wizards, exploring themes of identity, prejudice, violence, compassion, and the ways we are all connected.

"A wonderfully delightful and deeply imaginative tale of struggle and the quest for knowledge, set in a well-developed and complex high fantasy setting."

--G. S. Jennsen, author of Science-Fiction saga Aurora Rhapsody


"I love Bell's sensitive and insightful exploration of compassion, connection, and relationships. The Banished Craft provides layers of thought-provoking ideas as well as good old-fashioned escapism."
--Colleen Patrick- Goudreau, bestselling author of The 30-Day Vegan Challenge

Rating:

I was lucky enough to come upon this book through Candace’s Book Tours and am so happy I decided I wanted to take part in its review tour. This book is a layered masterpiece of epic fantasy that focuses on two worlds that are ending. The book follows a cast of character in these worlds as they try to come to terms with various political, emotional, and societal concerns while experiencing major world changing events like earthquakes and places just disappearing entirely.

Upon reading the synopsis it seems like you will be following Cor and Atesh, but in reality there is a huge cast in this book and each point of view is just as interesting as the last as the author builds this grand complex world and society. Cor is a human that is a victim or gender inequality and racial prejudice living in one world, while Atesh is a dragon scientist forced to work for the violent, vindictive dragoness emperor of his world. I found the political upheavals of both story lines multifaceted and their issues realistic though set in a fantasy world.

As for the other characters, we have the privilege of understanding the views of theses individuals in the human world: King’s wife, people of the Sea region, people in the Cave region, and people of the Marshlands. In the dragon world, there is a general, the emperor, some neighbors, and some art kids. It all seems kind of mish-mashed but it worked REALLY well.

I was partial to the dragon world – I found it faster paced than the human interactions and complications. (and dragons are cooler anyway, right?! YES!) I found myself speed reading through the human realm to get back to the dragon realm sooner and often you would get more about the humans than the dragons in a row, but most of the time they alternated.

Overall, this was an epic book, as it was supposed to be. I really adored the world building – it was SO good and the book brings up a lot of hardships society faces and I think that this could have a lot of feels for most readers. I know that I had them.

About the Author
Author E.D.E. Bell is a graduate of the University of Michigan with an MSE in Electrical Engineering, and works as an advisor in technical intelligence. A vegan and enthusiastic ignorer of gender rules, she feels strongly about issues related to human equality and animal compassion. Married with three children, she decided to pursue her dream of writing and is excited to share that vision with fans of epic fantasy. 

Website | Facebook | Twitter @edebellauthor | Pinterest | Instagram |  Wattpad

Bell will be releasing her first Wattpad story on 1 Sept to coincide with the release of The Banished Craft.

$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends Sept. 9th
Prizing is provided by the publisher and hosts are not responsible in any way.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Recent Reads: Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: June 16, 2015 

 

Format: ebook
Source: Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. Receiving the book in no way alters my opinion or review.

Rating:
 


 


Goodreads Synopsis: 

If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear. 

 Review: 
So Many Feels for this book... I am not even sure where to begin. So far every book I have read by Tamara Ireland Stone has been great. I enjoy her characters and their lives and they are relatable, but I think Sam takes the cake in this area. She is by far the most realistic of characters I have read in a long time and it isn't just because of the OCD, that is a big factor but her troubles and worries are that of a teenage girl in high school and I really appreciate that. 

This book was so much deeper than I ever expected and while maybe not the most realistic portrayal of OCD in a person it was still VERY well done. As a reader who suffers from anxiety issues, a lot of this was an approachable take on mental illness (esp. for younger readers).

The story follows Sam as she is learning how to handle herself and her life in high school. It is not how she wants it to be and her 'friends' aren't the greatest group, especially because she feels she cannot tell them about her illness. Sam goes out of her way to find something better and happens upon the Poet's Corner, a way to break out of her 'normal' surroundings and people and be herself in front of others. In doing this she finds her true voice, friendship, herself through the 'crazy', and even a partner.

The book made me think about what it means to be different, about bullying, about mental illness, about friends, and about emotions. It was a lot of feels in one place and the last 6 chapters had me in tears, and not because it was sad - but because it was an elegant ending to an emotional roller coaster. I would recommend this book to everyone.

Early Reader Review: Stay! A Top Dog Story by Alex Latimer

Stay! A Top Dog Story by Alex Latimer
Publisher:  Peachtree Publishing
Publication Date:  September 1, 2015

 

Format: ebook
Source: Netgalley and Peachtree Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this book in no way alters my opinion or review.

Rating:


 




Goodreads Synopsis: 

Grandpa is looking after Ben's mischievous dog, Buster. Who will be top dog?

Looking after Ben's dog, Buster, is no walk in the park. Buster is messy, he is naughty, he is EXHAUSTING! But Ben loves him more than anything. When Ben goes away, he tells Grampa exactly how to look after Buster. But has Ben remembered the most IMPORTANT thing?

 Review: 
Stay! is a clever little book about owning a pet and how kids and parents see that pet - where adults can find them a pain, kids see past a lot of their flaws because they are a companion.  Ben is about to go on vacation  with his stressed parents and they have told him that he cannot bring Buster, their dog. So instead Ben must write a list for grampa about what may happen while they are away - all the things Buster likes, dislikes, things to do with him etc. Sadly, Ben still forgets some important things, luckily Grampa knows how to handle it. 

This was a very cute story about a kid and his dog and the different ways to react when a pet is misbehaving. It was very cute, very colorful, and all the drawings were marvelous. As a dog owner and lover, I highly recommend this cute book.



 

Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway! Tom Thorneval: Dream Merchant Extraordinaire by Cornelius Elmore Addison

Welcome to my tour stop for Tom Thorneval: Dream Merchant Extraordinaire by Cornelius Elmore Addison! This is a middle grade fantasy and the tour runs August 24 - 28 with reviews only.  Check out the tour page for more information and be sure to stop by each tour stop as Tom Thorneval travels and you'll see him in a new stop (new graphic) on each blog!

About the Book:

The first paperback from the Addison's Tales musical storyworld is set to appear this summer with the release of "Tom Thorneval – Dream Merchant Extraordinaire". The rippingly entertaining anti-fairytale follows the misadventures of a very likable Dreammaker aiming to make it big in the world of men. Unfortunately, his great plan has drawn the ire of Fate, and Tom is robbed of all his dreams shortly after setting out on his grand adventure.With his loyal (if slightly insane) stoat Wix, a devastated Tom battles on through a series of horrifically funny misfortunes as he makes his way towards what he hopes is the Grand Goblin Fair, only to draw farther away from it in the process. Will the courageous half-fairy make it back to his true love Mary? Will she be waiting for him? Or will all the orcs, imps, witches, dwarves and mysterious creatures that line the forest paths ruin his one chance at happiness?The answer lies in the pages of this innovative literary event that races middle-schoolers through a Pythonesque world of music, color and wild adventure. Readers are invited to listen to the three songs from the tale with their smartphones and go on to learn the über-catchy, author-composed melodies at the Addison's Tales channel on MuseScore.com. With its philosophical turns and fable-like qualities, Tom Thorneval is a modern twist on what it's like to be a little different in a very big world.

"Tom is a down-to-earth narrator, and his dream making is as clever as Roald Dahl’s in The BFG (1982).  His adventures are also reminiscent of traveling through Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland, and the driving later subplot of the book ... (spoiler removed) ... ends well. Although the book is the first in a planned series, the story feels complete and self-contained. It also  includes QR codes to play the music included in the book, which is a nice touch for readers with the proper technology."

 - Kirkus Reviews

This book was like a blast from the past, it was fairy tales, adventure, misfortune, and a choose your own all wrapped into one beautiful package. Tom is not your normal adventurer - conquering bad guys going on his merry way - he is more like the Greek myths of old... bad things keep happening to him and he is trying to get out alive and make the best of the situations.

Tom Thorneval is a half-fairy trying to take his dreammaking business on the road to the Goblin Fair, only to get horribly lost and have SO many bad things happen to him. The story sets off with Tom as he starts his adventure and eventually the reader is able to see a lot of character growth in Tom through his misfortune. 

When we began Tom is a headstrong dreammaking looking to make a quick buck on his wares, by the end - not so much and it is refreshing even though through most of the story you feel so sorry for him. But all of it is character building (quite literally since it is a book). The story talks a lot about choosing the right path and understanding the path you are on as well. It was a charming tale.

What made it even more exciting was that the ebook is also interactive! Ever read a book and the characters sings and you try to make a tune to fit but come up short? That won't happen here - there are links to the actual songs that you can listen to embedded in the appropriate places. There is even a choice the reader helps Tom make about 1/4 of the way through the book - choose his path, see what happens - all so much fun. I think that younger readers will definitely enjoy it especially because as an adult I found it new and different and a lot of fun.

This would also be a great book to read a a family and talk about why things may have happened to Tom and how he could have avoided some/ all of his troubles. A wonderful book!

What is the Addison's Tales musical storyworld?

To make it easy, think of the web as a canvas like the cinema screen or a book. Instead of just one film or story for the canvas, however, Addison's Tales is composed of multiple stories, animated videos and songs that can be discovered over ‘bridges’ (hyperlinks) leading from one part of the storyworld to the next like a colourful online garden expanding over time.

Users can enjoy sights, sounds and emotions waiting within the ebooks, apps, music, cartoons and paperbacks. It is a very new approach to storytelling that does not require you to start at any particular page or scene and draws on the unique crossmedia storytelling capabilities of the web. But if you REALLY need a beginning, head to www.addisonstales.com

Here you will meet the creator C. E. Addison in his cottage surrounded by the characters he has purchased from Mack the Character Merchant. Scroll around the cottage to learn about his characters and follow the links to their tales available in your preferred format. The first suggested tale is “The Dream”, where Mr Addison meets Mack.

Website

One paperback of  Tom Thorneval: Dream Merchant Extraordinaire by Cornelius Elmore Addison 

Open Worldwide

Ends September 2nd

Prizing is provided by the publisher, hosts are not responsible in any way.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Building the Book Pile #150

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

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 


Happy Sunday everyone! I hope your weekends have been fun. My hubby started a 2nd job this weekend with the College / the Museum they have and he is super excited. It is only weekends which works great with his day job too... and that leaves me lots of weekend time to read and blog which I am excited for (even though spending weekends with him is great).

What's Happening?! 

How was your week ? Let me know in the comments.

  Giveaways Going on This Week!

These Links Will have Giveaways, so keep posted this week!

Coming up on the Blog...

Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway! Tom Thorneval Dream Merchant Extraordinaire by Cornelius Elmore Addison (MG)
 Recent Reads: Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone (YA)
 Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway! The Banished Craft by EDE Bell (YA)
ARC August Weekend #5 Re-Cap

      

Books Received this Week

Physical Books

  The Dragon of the Month Club by Iain Reading, from the Author and Book Publicity Services in exchange for an honest review. - Isn't this cover adorable!

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli From BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. Received and Reviewed already - see link below.

EBooks 

 

 Strings by Miki Hayden from Curiosity Quills in exchange for a review.

Peace Piper by Allie Burton from the author in exchange for a review.

 

Have you missed anything lately?  

• Early Reader Review: Powerpuff Girls Super Smash-Up by Derek Charm (GN) - 4 stars
• Building the Book Pile #149 (The LATE Edition)
• Recent Reads: Golden by Melinda Michaels (YA) - 4 stars
• Early Reader Review: Thankful by Eileen Spinelli (Youth) - 5 stars
• ARC August Weekend #4 Re-cap

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!