Building the Book Pile #305

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

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Woo! it was a long week. I was away in Boston all week for a conference and I had about 10 school assignments due this week too, so it was a super busy one. 

Sadly I did not get much reading done at all, at least not reading for fun or the blog, I will try to pick up the pace again this week. 

If you enjoy the blog and want to share some love and caffeine, you can buy me a coffee via Ko-fi

Share about your week with me in the comments below!

 

  Giveaways  on Cover2CoverBlog! 

Coming up on the Blog

Early Reader Review: Teen Titans Raven by Kami Garcia

Still trying to finish this one... hopefully this week :)
Recent Reads: The Camelot Code, Book #1: The Once and Future Geek by Mari Mancusi (MG)


Books Received Recently...

      

Cursed by Thomas Wheeler and Illustrated by Frank Miller from Netgalley and  in Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in exchange for review. 

You are Home with Me by Sarah Asper-Smith from Netgalley and Sasquatch Books in exchange for review.

The Starlight Claim by Tim Wynne-Jones from Candlewick Press and Librarything Early Reviewers in exchange for review.

When Summer Ends by Jessica Pennington From Tor Teen for Nerd Tours Blog Tour

Challenge Accepted!: 100 Word Searches by Andy Kravis from Callisto Publishers Club for review.

Have you missed anything lately?

Trailer Reveal w/ Giveaway: Riven by Jane Alvey Harris (YA)
Recent Reads: When I Look Up by Ellen DeLange (Youth)-4 stars
Recent Reads: Croquette & Empanada (GN) -4 stars
Blog Tour w/ Giveaway: Queen of the Sean by Dylan Meconis (MG, GN) -5 stars

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 Tour: Review and Giveaway - Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis

About the Book
Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis

Cult graphic novelist Dylan Meconis offers a rich reimagining of history in this hybrid novel loosely based on the exile of Queen Elizabeth I by her sister, Queen Mary.

When her sister seizes the throne, Queen Eleanor of Albion is banished to a tiny island off the coast of her kingdom, where the nuns of the convent spend their days peacefully praying, sewing, and gardening. But the island is also home to Margaret, a mysterious young orphan girl whose life is upturned when the cold, regal stranger arrives. As Margaret grows closer to Eleanor, she grapples with the revelation of the island’s sinister true purpose as well as the truth of her own past. When Eleanor’s life is threatened, Margaret is faced with a perilous choice between helping Eleanor and protecting herself.  

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Queen of the Sea is a tome of a graphic novel. It is 400 pages! and the hardback could be used as a weapon... and that could be a positive or a negative depending on how you look at it, but I found this book lovely.

Margaret is an orphan being raised on an island at a convent and it chronicles the beginning of her life and then the events of today when she has to help protect the former Queen. Margaret tells the tale from her point of view and it is a refreshingly innocent tale told by an innocent girl learning about her past and her future in one fell swoop. 

The book, like I mentioned, is on the longer side for a graphic novel but I think the space was used well to tell the story that it needed to. The images are bright and the art feels rustic almost, but it is perfect for the story. There were a few times were the pages were full text blocks and I fell like that sometimes takes away from the overall graphic but in the times when it was used I think it added context well that could not be explained fully in images that went along with the other panels.

I loved this graphic novel, I loved that it was a tome and it was so long, but I was surprised by it, so be aware - this is a big book with a lot of information and history in its pages. Prepare for a marvelous adventure with Margaret and her convent. 

Praise for QUEEN OF THE SEA

The art, reminiscent of Raina Telgemeier’s style, creates levity during perilous situations. The book is dense with dialogue, often feeling more like a work of prose than a graphic novel. As a result, this complex work will be more accessible to those familiar with graphic novels…Certain to charm sophisticated graphic novel devotees. —School Library Journal (starred review)

Meconis offers an atmospheric alternate history inspired by the childhood and succession of Queen Elizabeth I in this quietly ambitious graphic novel…Art in soft, earthy colors brings this singular story to life in styles ranging from simple line drawings to elaborately styled text illuminations. The island world is richly developed, both in its physical particulars and its close-knit community (fascinating digressions into topics such as convent time, hand gestures used at table, and chess and embroidery flesh out daily life), and Margaret proves herself an endearing heroine with a strong voice full of humor and wonder. Her perspective transforms a storm-wracked rock into a vibrant world of hidden treasures. —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Meconis’ humor and storytelling gifts here wed seamlessly with her evocative pen-and-ink and gouache illustrations, which are rendered in warm earth and sea tones and brim with movement, expressively capturing even Margaret’s interior monologues. With its compelling, complex characters and intrigue-laden plot, this will have readers hoping it’s only the first of many adventures for Meconis’ savvy heroine. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Weaving faith, love, statecraft, and self-discovery into a tale of palace intrigue relocated to the halls of a convent on a remote island at sea, Dylan Meconis uses the trappings of the history we know to create a high-stakes adventure in an alternate past that feels so detailed and so familiar, you’ll find yourself wondering why you never read about it in school. This beautiful book swept me away from the first page.” —Kate Milford, author of the Greenglass House series 

“Dylan Meconis is at the absolute top of her game. A gorgeously rendered, lovingly realized alternate history, full of personal revelations in the midst of political intrigue. A tale of growing up, and of understanding that the world is larger and stranger than it once seemed. (Plus it has a Terrible Recipe for Terrible Gruel.)” —Ben Hatke, author-illustrator of the Zita the Spacegirl series

“This is the book I was always trying to get my hands on in high school that never seemed to materialize. An adventure to lose yourself in, with an attention to historical detail to please the nerdiest among us. I fell easily and completely into this world and its characters, knowing I was safe in Dylan Meconis’s hands, and I’m really excited for more people to find out what I’ve known for a long time—that she is one of a kind.” —Kate Beaton, author-illustrator of Hark! A Vagrant

About the Author


I’ve been writing and illustrating my own stories since the first grade, and I’ve been making comic books since middle school (no, really! Seventh grade was a tough year for me socially, so I had a lot of time to draw). I started my first book-length comic (graphic novel) in high school.

Unlike a lot of people who become professional artists and authors, I didn’t go to art school or a creative writing program in college. Instead, I mostly studied history, literature, philosophy, and French in the College of Letters at Wesleyan University. This means I have a brain full of weird facts, old books, strange art, and the extremely useful ability to read The Tales of Canterbury in the original Middle English. Except for the Middle English bit, it’s all come in very handy for writing and drawing historical fiction and fantasy.

I first started to get paid for making comics when I was still in college, when my first graphic novel was published online. After college, I worked as a graphic designer and visual communications consultant (which means “person who helps teach adults complicated stuff in cool new ways using pictures”). I’ve worked with Fortune 500 companies, global charities, technology companies, libraries, and a lot of other interesting organizations. I’ve made illustrations, animations, information graphics and cool presentations, explaining everything from how microchips work to the ways that clean drinking water can help communities in the third world.

For the last ten years, though, I mostly work as a writer, comic book creator and illustrator! Sometimes I make books totally by myself, and sometimes I get to team up with other writers or artists. It can be lots of fun, but it can also be very hard work. Luckily, I never get tired of making new stories.  

PHOTO CONTENT FROM DYLAN MECONIS

Find the Author

WEBSITE / TWITTER / GOODREADS /  FACEBOOK  / INSTAGRAM

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

 10 Winners will receive a Copy of QUEEN OF THE SEA by Dylan Meconis.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Recent Reads: Croquette & Empanada by Ana Oncina

Source: From Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.



Croquette & Empanada by Ana Oncina
Series: Croquette & Empanada #1
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date:  June 4, 2019

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:








Goodreads Synopsis: 

A classic love story: doughy appetizer boy meets doughy appetizer girl. Together they exist in a world cohabited by humans. 

Croquette is looking for love—his sweet, silly other half.  Empanada hopes she can find someone who accepts her for who she is. It’s a match made in tasty, tasty heaven. Internationally bestselling author Ana Oncina’s Croquette & Empanada explores modern love and domesticity with charming comics. Enjoy the antics of this adorable, culinary couple as they navigate romance and cohabitation, from deciding to move in together to purchasing their first pet. 

Review: 
This was a hilarious graphic novel about a boy and a girl being in love. Their ups and downs are realizing and laugh-out-loud funny and relatable. Together they go on trips, move in, get their first pet, and just spend time with each other. 

What made this great was how realistic it really was. I found myself laughing a lot and thinking about myself and my significant other. Even though the characters are foods, that is the only non-realistic aspect of this series. 

The images were detailed enough but simple and the panels and sectioning was very well done. It was easy to read and follow and the stories were short little clips which meant I could read a few and then do something else without having to invest a lot of time in one sitting. This is a great graphic novel and if you have someone in your life, this would be a great one to share with them and laugh over how real it all is.

Recent Reads: When I Look Up by Ellen DeLange

Source: From Netgalley and Clavis Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

When I Look Up by Ellen DeLange
Publisher: Clavis Publishing
Publication Date:  June 7. 2019

 

Format:  Ebook


Rating: 








Goodreads Synopsis: 

From the author and illustrator of I WILL ALWAYS BE HAPPY TO SEE YOU comes a book about imagination, dreaming and acceptance. What do you see when you look up? Where does your imagination take you? What do you wish for?
A story about dreaming of beautiful things, and about being happy with what you've got. For sky gazers ages 5 years and up.

Review: 
Short review for a short youth book. This was a great read. It starts off as a little girl hopes and dreams and imagines what it is be like to be all sorts of things she finds in the sky or when she looks up. in the end though she realizes that she is happy with what she has. It is a beautiful concept and message that I think should be shared with children. 

The images are vibrant and fun and can be interactive with your kids as you read. It will capture their imagination and yours as you read and then end with a wonderful message for everyone to think about.

Trailer Reveal: Riven by Jane Alvey Harris

http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2019/06/trailer-reveal-riven-by-jane-alvey.html  

About the Book

Which reality would you choose? Seventeen year-old Emily's dad is in prison for securities fraud and her mom's strung-out on pain meds, leaving Emily to parent herself and her younger brothers and sister. She's got things mostly under control until a couple weeks before Dad's release, when voices start whispering in her head, and Gabe, the hot lifeguard at the pool, notices the strange brands engraved on her arm...the ones she's trying desperately to hide. Emily doesn't know how the symbols got there or what they mean. They appeared overnight and now they're infected and bleeding. She's pretty sure she's losing her mind. Stress, insomnia, and her wounded egos drive Emily to self-medicate, which has to be why the nightmares from her childhood have resurfaced, why they're commandeering her conscious even when she's awake. It has to be why the fairytale creatures she created as a little girl insist they need her help. Triggered by the return of her childhood abuser and unable to cope with reality, Emily slips completely inside her elaborate fantasy world. She's powerful in the First Realm, maybe even more powerful than her attacker. It would be so easy to stay there, to lose herself in enchantment...to lose herself in love. But something sinister lurks in the forest shadows. Emily soon discovers her demons have followed her inside her fairytale. They're hunting her. With the help of the Fae, she frantically searches for the weapons she needs to defeat her greatest fears and escape back to reality before the man who tortured her can prey on her younger brothers and sister, too. Time is running out...

*Non-explicit Trigger Warning: This book deals with issues of child molestation and abuse.  

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Winner: 2016 Moonbeam Gold Medal, Young Adult Fiction

Winner: 2017 Royal Dragonfly First Place, Young Adult Fiction

Winner: 2017 Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award

Nominated for the 2018 IndieNext List  

About the Author

Jane Alvey Harris has a Humanities degree from Brigham Young University with

emphases in Art History, Italian Language, and Studio Art. She's CRAZY about the visual and performing arts! Jane enjoys playing classical piano, painting & sketching, singing & acting, and especially writing poetry & prose.

But her real passion is PEOPLE. She loves to watch and study what makes us tick as human beings. Jane is definitely a dreamer. Her favorite thing to do is weave together sublime settings and stories for characters to live and learn in...herself included.

She currently lives in an enchanted fairy-princess castle in Dallas, Texas, with her three often-adorable children and their three seldom-adorable cats.  

PHOTO CONTENT FROM JANE ALVEY HARRIS

Find the Author

WEBSITE / TWITTER / GOODREADS / FACEBOOK /INSTAGRAM /YOUTUBE

ABOUT FILM 14

Film 14 is an LA-based film studio.They produce cinematic book trailers, author’s videos, short films, and more.

Cinematic Book Trailers leave that lasting impression on the viewer, and remain with the book for as long as it’s in print. They’re stand-alone works of art, and at the same time they compliment the book perfectly. We create these cinematic trailers to give a poignant vignette of the book, which leaves the viewer curious. The tone, the pacing, the details, all generate tangible interest in the book and its author.

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter
Ends: July 15, 2019

- 2 Winners will receive a Signed Copy of RIVEN by Jane Alvey Harris.
- 1 Winner will receive an Exclusive Basic Book Teaser from Film 14 (Valued at $500.00)
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Building the Book Pile #304

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

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Good Morning and Happy Sunday to you all.  I hope you had a great week!
This week I worked, did so much homework, was recovering from last weekends illness, and actually got some reading done...yay! all the things.

Today I am preparing to be at a work conference for a week - so packing, cleaning up before I go, and trying to get some content ready for the blog too. Hopefully you will have some great content while I am gone...but that is up to me.

If you enjoy the blog and want to share some love and caffeine, you can buy me a coffee via Ko-fi

Share about your week with me in the comments below!

 

  Giveaways  on Cover2CoverBlog! 

Coming up on the Blog

Trailer Reveal w/ Giveaway: Riven by Jane Alvey Harris (YA)
Recent Reads: When I Look Up by Ellen DeLange (Youth)
Recent Reads: Croquette & Empanada (GN)
Blog Tour w/ Giveaway: Queen of the Sean by Dylan Meconis (MG, GN)
Recent Reads: The Camelot Code, Book #1: The Once and Future Geek by Mari Mancusi (MG)


Books Received Recently...

      

When I Look Up by Ellen DeLange from Netgalley and Clavis Publishing in exchange for review. 

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: MegaBat and Fancy Cat by Anna Humphrey and Kass Reich (MG)-4 stars
Recent Reads: Ghosters 2: Revenge of the Library Ghost by Diana Corbitt (MG) -3 stars

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!

Recent Reads: Revenge of the Library Ghost by Diana Corbitt

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

Revenge of the Library Ghost by Diana Corbitt
Series: Ghosters 2
Publisher: Dragonfeather Books/Bedazzled Ink Publishing
Publication Date:  October, 2018

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:






Goodreads Synopsis: 

“Dawg, there is definitely something weird going on in this library.” Elbie is right. But I can’t tell if it’s the air-conditioning making the little hairs on my arms stand up, or a ghost.   It’s been a year since Theresa and her English friend, Kerry, won the Ghosters contest. Now her little brother, Joey, has stumbled on a mystery in the school library. Blasts of cold air, lights that flicker, and books flying off the shelves start Joey and his friend, Elbie, searching for the reason. 

Elbie lives above his family’s mortuary and is very comfortable around the ghosts that troop through its halls. He’s a prankster and doesn’t mind Joey’s Asperger’s behaviors. When the boys discover a ghost holding Joey’s bug book hostage, they team up with Theresa and Kerry to decode the ghostly messages found in the titles of the books thrown by the library ghost. 

Review: 
Ghosters 2 is about Joey and Elbie, two boys that are friends at school that also happen to be able to see ghosts. When there are some weird things happening in the library at school, they know it is a ghost and in order to get things operational again they have to help it.

Elbie live in a mortuary with his parents and likes to prank people. Joey is a young boy that is very well behaved and happens to also have Asperger's. He is a wonderful representation of these behaviors in a kind way, it is obvious but not over the top. The story is told from Joey's point of view. 

I enjoyed this story quite a bit even though I had not read the first book in the series. This one seemed to touch back on book one a few times, which was fine there were more than enough details to keep a reader interested. I liked the plot and it moved at a good pace and was interesting with all the mystery behind who the ghost was and what it needed help with. I think it would make a wonderful read for middle grade readers, it has a great plot with lots of very relatable characters for diverse readers, it is interesting and it ends on such a wonderful note even though the ending was a bit spooky.

Recent Reads: Mega Bat and Fancy Cat by Anna Humphrey

Source: From Librarything Early Reviewers and Tundra in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Mega Bat and Fancy Cat by Anna Humphrey and Kass Reich
Series: Mega Bat #2
Publisher: Tundra
Publication Date:  April 2, 2019

Format: Hardback

Rating:







Goodreads Synopsis: 

A sweet and hilarious chapter book about a boy and a bat, two unlikely friends who bond over loneliness, jellyrolls and Darth Vader.

Daniel Misumi has just moved to a new house. It's big and old and far away from his friends and his life before. AND it's haunted . . . or is it?
Megabat was just napping on a papaya one day when he was stuffed in a box and shipped halfway across the world. Now he's living in an old house far from home, feeling sorry for himself and accidentally scaring the people who live there.

Daniel realizes it's not a ghost in his new house. It's a bat. And he can talk. And he's actually kind of cute.

Megabat realizes that not every human wants to whack him with a broom. This one shares his smooshfruit.

Add some buttermelon, juice boxes, a lightsaber and a common enemy and you've got a new friendship in the making!

This charming, funny story is brought to life by Kass Reich's warm and adorable illustrations. There's never been a bat this cute -- readers will be rooting for Megabat and Daniel from page one! 

Review: 
This is the first book of the Mega bat series that I have read, but it was a delightful book that you can pick up without even having the first one. 

In this installment though, Megabat is not a fan of the new family member, the fancy cat Priscilla, and he is angry and sad about all the attention she is getting. His friend Daniel likes the cat and he doesn't understand why, she is always hiding and is just no fun. Megabat does everything in his power to get rid of her and in the process causes an lot of problems for Daniel and the family. 

Megabat is a cute little bat that just wants to be loved and it shows in this book. It will be a great one to teach kids about sharing love and how easy it is for jealousy to show up in normal, everyday things. 

The book is a quick read and it includes illustrations throughout which are additionally adorable and fun. 

Building the Book Pile #303

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

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!!! We appreciate everything you have done for us, all the times you have said no but let us anyway, and all the goofing off we do together that makes mom angry 😜 I hope you are having a great day!

Woo man this week has been... a lot...

Last week I did finish my paper 🎉 and it was turned in on time.

This week I prepped a bunch of blog stuff, read two chapters of my textbook, wrote two discussion posts, two short papers, a longer paper, and worked. 

We are decluttering at home and might have a yard sale soon... we just have a lot of junk that I don't want to look at anymore and we are thinking of moving to a warmer climate soon. Vermont is gorgeous for about 2 months, otherwise we have about 8 months of winter and a mud season in which it never stops raining + the melt... it is messy. Rolo dog hates it.. so do we. Florida is looking really nice right now...

and.. since the week just didn't give up...I was super sick all weekend... so this is actually a day late... sorry. Some sort of weird stomach virus put me on my butt for two days, I couldn't keep even water down... it was really bad. I am finally feeling better though. 

If you enjoy the blog and want to share some love and caffeine, you can buy me a coffee via Ko-fi

Share about your week with me in the comments below!

 

  Giveaways  on Cover2CoverBlog! 

 
Coming up on the Blog

Recent Reads: MegaBat and Fancy Cat by Anna Humphrey and Kass Reich (MG)
Recent Reads: Ghosters 2: Revenge of the Library Ghost by Diana Corbitt (MG)
Recent Reads: The Camelot Code, Book #1: The Once and Future Geek by Mari Mancusi (MG)


Books Received Recently...

    

Bird Count by Susan Edwards Richmond from Netgalley and Peachtree Publishing Company for review
Don't Let the Beasties Escape This Book! by Julie Berry From Netgalley and Getty Publications for review.
Time Management in 20 Minutes a Day: Simple Strategies to Increase Productivity, Enhance Creativity, and Make Your Time Your Own by Holly Reisem Hanna from Callisto Publisher's Club and Althea Press for review

Have you missed anything lately?

Blog Blast: Trailer Reveal and Giveaway! A Midnight Clear
Blog Blast w/ Giveaway! House of Earth House of Stone by Josh David Bellin
Early Reader Review: Spiky by Ilaria Guarducci (Youth) -4 stars
Early Reader Review: Through Lya's Eyes (Vol. 1 Seeking the Truth) by Carbone (YA, GN)-5 stars

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!