Recent Reads: The Fishing Lesson by Heinrich Boell

Source: From Librarything and Eerdmans Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Fishing Lesson by Heinrich Boell
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Publication Date:  April 23, 2018

 

Format:  Hardback

Rating:

 




Goodreads Synopsis: 

A hilarious read with an important message

A humble fisherman is taking a nap in his boat when a tourist interrupts him. The outspoken tourist points out that instead of napping, the fisherman could go out and catch more fish, which would eventually earn him enough money to buy a proper motor-boat. The tourist continues to embellish his idea, envisioning canneries, restaurants, and private helicopters. But the fisher­man has his own ideas about what success looks like.

With comic-like illustrations that emphasize the story’s humor, this funny and thoughtful book will inspire readers to celebrate life’s simple pleasures and enjoy the here and now. 

Review: 
I was super nerdy the other night and read this aloud to my hubs while we were in bed (he puts up with my crazy). The cover for this is so vibrant and fun and the dust jacket comes off and is a mini poster - which I thought was SO creative and cool. The images throughout were just as fun and very detailed.

The book is broken up into panels across the two pages and tell the story of a sleeping fisherman who is woken up and given a fishing lesson by a tourist. The tourist does on and on about hard work and getting more in and out of life, and concludes his lesson saying that if the fisherman can do all that, then he can relax. The fisherman is patient with the tourist and listens to everything he has to say and in the end the fisherman has the last word. This book was hilarious and we both thought that the ending was a perfect one. 

Recent Reads: Saga Volume 6 by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Saga Volume 6 by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Series: Saga, Collecting Issues 31-36.
Publisher: Image Comics
Publication Date:  July 5, 2016

 

Format:  Paperback
Source: Borrowed from a friend

Rating:


 





Goodreads Synopsis: 

After a dramatic time jump, the three-time Eisner Award winner for Best Continuing Series continues to evolve, as Hazel begins the most exciting adventure of her life: kindergarten. Meanwhile, her starcrossed family learns hard lessons of their own.

Collecting: Saga 31-36

Volume 1 Review /Volume 2 Review / Volume 3 Review / Volume 4 Review / Volume 5 Review

Review: 
I love to throw these graphic novels in between longer books. It is a nice break from all the words. Issues 31-36 were very good ones, Alana and Marko are loking for Hazel and so there are a few story lines going all of which kept my attention - sometimes one of them falls flat for me but this one was all good. We have parts with Hazel and her grandmother, then Alana and Marko, and then also with some reporters looking for Alana. Each issue in the collection had something to offer. The ending made me laugh out loud -it was a shock and a great end to this collection.  I think that in some ways the series is getting a little away from a lot of the politics, which has its pros and cons but I am still enjoying everything and will keep reading.

Just a reminder -this is an adult series there is a lot of violence and explicit content throughout.

Recent Reads: Damselfly by Chandra Prasad

Source: From Scholastic Press in exchange for review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Damselfly by Chandra Prasad

Publisher:  Scholastic Press
Publication Date:  March 27, 2018

 

Format: Hardback

Rating:


 




 Goodreads Synopsis: 

In the wake of crash-landing on a deserted tropical island, a group of private-school teens must rely on their wits and one another to survive.

Having just survived a plane crash, Samantha Mishra finds herself isolated and injured in the thick of the jungle. She has no idea where she is or where anybody else is -- she doesn't even know if anybody else is alive. Once Sam connects with her best friend, Mel, and they locate the others, they set up camp and hope for rescue. But as the days pass, the survivors, all teammates on the Drake Rosemont fencing team, realize that they're on their own -- with the exception of a mysterious presence who taunts and threatens them. When their initial attempts to escape the island fail, the teens find they need to survive more than the jungle . . . they need to survive each other.

This taut novel, with a setting evocative of Lord of the Flies, is by turns cinematic and intimate, and always thought-provoking. 

Review: 

Lord of the Flies meets Mean Girls is only a starting point to describe this novel. Prasad pieces together a story with so many layers it is hard to express my feelings over, but I will try. I had a lot of emotions throughout this book but really I was frustrated a lot of the time. There were so many times I had to stop myself and breathe and try to refocus - but that frustration is what the book is meant to do (or at least that is how it felt to me).

The story is about a plane crash with a bunch of teens. They land on an island and are trying to survive/ get home. Time takes a toll on all of them and some of them descend into madness and turn against one another. There are boys and girls and the girls take charge, a good change of pace from most books - but they are still teenage girls who find ways to be underhanded and snarky throughout the tale.

Along with the feeling of unease the book gives you when it comes to the girl drama, there are other elements to throw you off as well. The main character is Indian (yay for diverse books! - loved that) and so are others in the party, one of them is even full-on racist toward the white people in the party. She calls them 'Pales' and talks about how the darker skinned students will be better off in this new environment. It was blunt and surprising, but I think it was acceptable for the book to address this as an issue - it appears everywhere so why not in a YA book.

The teens battle the climate, the lack of supplies, but also something else on the island as well. Overall, I think this last point wasn't even necessary in the overall story line but it did add to the drama.

If you are looking for a diverse book, some suspense, and girl drama (this is an understatement - there is a good amount of unnerving violence from them too), then this is a book for you.

Recent Reads: Unbreakable by Sara Ella

Source: Ebook from Netgalley and Hardback from Booklook Bloggers. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Unbreakable by Sara Ella
Series: Unblemished #3
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date:  May 1, 2018

 

Format:  Ebook and Hardback

Rating:


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

Eliyana Ember is stranded in a foreign country in the Third Reflection with no passport, the inability to mirrorwalk, and zero clue where the nearest Thresholds back into the Fourth or Second might lie. Her mind is a haze, her memories vague. She knows a wormhole from the Fourth sent her here. She remembers her mom and baby brother Evan. Makai and Stormy and Joshua . . .

Deep down El realizes she must end the Void once and for all. Is there a way to trap the darkness within its current vessel, kill it off completely? To do so would mean sacrificing another soul—the soul of a man Joshua claims is a traitor. But he’s lied to her before, and even El senses Joshua can’t be fully trusted, but one thing is certain . . .

The Void must be annihilated. And only the Verity—the light which birthed the darkness—can put an end to that which seeks to kill and destroy.

Review: 

This was a great conclusion to this fantasy Young Adult series. I hit every emotion while reading - I was shocked, crying, so excited and so upset all through this book. 

This book, like the others starts out a little slow, but it builds as you read. You follow various perspectives including El, Ebony, Joshua, and Ky and travel with all of them on their journeys. El is stuck and trying to get back to her family and friends in their reflection, Joshua is stuck within himself, and Ky and Ebony are in the same reflection but on different routes to locate El and help the greater good. 

The world building was still wonderful in this book, it is amazing that even in book three of this trilogy that we are learning more about this world. Along with that there were SO many twists throughout this book! Every one was more shocking than the last. I liked where this ended the series and everything came together really well. 

My only dislike was that there were a lot of flashbacks that were hard to follow -were  people were back together and I had missed something or it was a flashback. And sometimes I was very thrown off by whose perspective I was reading, I think I was just so engrossed in the plot that I wasn't paying enough attention to who I was reading. Which is always an issues that I have and I feel like having to have the check - in in the chapter heading it makes it difficult to keep up with the flow of the plot. 

However, even with that the book was very good and it was an emotional conclusion to the series. It ended how I wanted it to with all the love and trust that needed to with the characters. If you are looking for a clean YA book series this one is a great one. (and bonus - these covers are GORGEOUS!)

Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway - Death Doesn't Bargain by Sherrilyn Kenyon

So excited to be helping with this tour! Pirate books for the win. Below you will find both the review for book 2, and if you have not picked up the series yet, book 1. Enjoy and make sure to visit others on the tour too!

Death Doesn't Bargain by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Series: Deadman's Cross #2  
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: May 8, 2018

(Haven't Read Book 1? - Keep scrolling for a review of Deadmen Walking)

About the Book

Death Doesn’t Bargain is the second historical fantasy title in New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Deadman’s Cross series. Where Deadmen tell their tales, and every soul is damned or redeemed by the final choices they make.

The Deadmen are back...

But so are the demons who have broken free of their eternal prison and are bent on mankind's destruction. The worst of the lot is Vine, determined to claim their lives for taking hers. She will see the world burn...and has the perfect lure to destroy them all. One of their own.

Kalder Dupree has never known a day of mercy. Born to the cruelest of mer-races, he sacrificed himself for his crew and is in Vine's hands. He expects no mercy or rescue.

Yet Cameron Jack is determined to set Kalder free. As a Hellchaser, it's her calling, and she cannot allow even a not-so-innocent to be tortured for an act of kindness that spared her damnation.

To defeat evil, it sometimes takes an even worse evil, and Cameron is willing to do whatever she must to make this right. If Vine thought she had her hands full before, she hasn't seen anything nearly as powerful as Cameron's resolve.

Buy the Book Here:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for DEATH DOESN'T BARGAIN
"Kenyon (Born of Legend) puts the lie to the old adage “Dead men tell no tales” in the jam-packed, appealing first book of her Deadman’s Cross historical fantasy series." ―Publishers Weekly on Deadmen Walking.

 

DEADMEN WALKING, Book 1

You can read the synopsis here on Goodreads for Book 1, Deadmen Walking.

The book begins with a girl named Cameron attempting to find her brother who is lost as sea and she finds herself on a ship full of demon-hunting deadmen in order to do so. That is where the story takes a turn, instead of focusing on Cameron an her story, we switch over and the main focus is about Bane, the captain and Mara, who is the ship - I know that sounds wrong, but trust me, that is what she is.

The book is full on demons and monsters and the light fighting the dark - and the dark fighting the dark and the whole thing is captured in this glorious world that the author has built. You feel in the thick of it all with the pirates and the battles and become very invested in the crew and their struggles. 

The plot of this one focuses on Bane and Mara, like I mentioned, and about an evil that is after them and using Cameron's brother to do so. I loved reading about Bane and Mara and their struggles and life together, it was a complicated mess of wars and magic and bonding the two of their souls. I was already sold on this book before the Epilogue and then I was fill-on blown away by the very end. I couldn't wait to grab the next installment.

If you are into pirates, their lore, demons, good versus evil, this book is very much for you. However, be warned - this is a New Adult/ Adult novel and there is explicit content.

 

DEATH DOESN'T BARGAIN, Book 2

 

So now on to what the tour is all about - Book 2, Death Doesn't Bargain!

SPOILERS if you have not read book 1. 

In the second book of the Deadman's Cross series, we are again back on board with Captain Bane's crew. This time we are off to save a friend as well as save the human world from the demons we are tasked with taking out. We follow Cameron a lot more in this book than in book one. Kalder took her place in the last book and now he is trapped in the underworld, again to be tortured and Cameron is beside herself to get him back. Luckily for all, a deal is a deal. 

The world grows as we get to know Kalder's past, present, and future through this book and the world is just as detailed as the first. The characters are a bit more developed now and so there is less of that explanation but more threads are woven together for other monsters and demons to take shape.With that came some confusion - I have not read Kenyon's other books (I would like to now) so a lot of the lore that might have started in those was lost on me - details of races of magical beings and creatures were a bit lost on me and I found myself more confused in this book than in the first. There was also more dream and flashback in this book, without much notice. I found myself having to flip back and reread to make sure I was in the right place.

However, overall this was another fantastic adventure and another wonderful ending making me want more. This ending was a little more predictable, but at the second book in a series sometimes it is harder to shock and awe. This series and its world are fantastic and if you enjoy adventure (with pirates) and demons, and good versus evil, this book is for you. However, be warned - this is a New Adult/ Adult novel and there is explicit content - more so in this than the first book.

WEEK ONE

MAY 8th TUESDAY JeanBookNerd REVIEW

MAY 8th TUESDAY TFAULC Book Reviews EXCERPT
MAY 9th WEDNESDAY Bookish Lifestyle EXCERPT 

MAY 9th WEDNESDAY Playground of Randomness EXCERPT 
MAY 10th THURSDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW
MAY 11th FRIDAY A Dream Within A Dream REVIEW

MAY 12th SATURDAY Reading for the Stars and Moon REVIEW 

MAY 12th SATURDAY TTC Books and More EXCERPT

WEEK TWO

MAY 13th SUNDAY Bri's Book Nook REVIEW
MAY 14th MONDAY Cover2CoverBlog REVIEW - you are here!
MAY 15th TUESDAY Booklovers For Life REVIEW

MAY 15th TUESDAY BookHounds EXCERPT  
MAY 16th WEDNESDAY Diane's Book Blog REVIEW

MAY 16th WEDNESDAY The Cozy Reading Corner EXCERPT 
MAY 17th THURSDAY Books A-Brewin' REVIEW 

MAY 17th THURSDAY Movies, Shows, & Books REVIEW 

About the Author
New York Times and international bestselling author, Sherrilyn Kenyon, is a regular at the #1 spot. With legions of fans known as Menyons (thousands of whom proudly sport tattoos from her series and who travel from all over the world to attend her appearances), her books are always snatched up as soon as they appear on store shelves.

Since 2003, she had placed more than 80 novels on the New York Times list in all formats including manga and graphic novels. Current series are: Dark-Hunter®, Chronicles of Nick®, Deadman’s Cross™, Nevermore™, Silent Swans™, Lords of Avalon® and The League®. Her books are available in over 100 countries where eager fans impatiently wait for the next release. The Chronicles of Nick® and Dark-Hunter® series are soon to be major motion pictures while Dark-Hunter®, Lords of Avalon® and The League® are being developed for television. Join her and her Menyons online at SherrilynKenyon.com and www.facebook.com/AuthorSherrilynKenyon

PHOTO CREDIT: LIZA HIPPLER

Find the Author
WEBSITE / TWITTER /GOODREADS / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM

 

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

3 Winners will receive a Set Copy of both books in the Series and a Pin (DEADMEN WALKING & DEATH DOESN'T BARGAIN) by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Building the Book Pile #253

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

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Busy Busy week, so sorry for the delay on this going live - It was sitting in my drafts.

This past week was crazy - back to work and catching up, reading ALL the things for tours and obligations (I set myself up to go crazy), a huge chore list, and of course  - Mother's day fun. 

I finished three books. 🤩🤩

How has your week been so far?

Share about your week with me in the comments below!

 

  Giveaways  on Cover2CoverBlog!

   

Coming up on the Blog

Blog Tour: Giveaway and Review - Death Doesn't Bargain (Deadmen's Cross #2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon (with a review of Deadmen Walking  - book 1)
Early Reader Review: Unbreakable by Sara Ella (YA)
Recent Reads:  Damselfly by Chandra Prasad (YA)
Recent Reads: Saga Volume 6 by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Adult, GN)
Recent Reads: The Fishing Lesson by Heinrich Boell (Youth)

Books Received this Week

   

The Fishing Lesson by Heinrich Boell from Libarything and Eerdman's Books for Young Readers

Have you missed anything lately?

Week of May 6 - May 13

Recent Reads: A Tangled Web by ML Sparrow (YA, Novella)

Blog Blast: Autumn Eternal by Kyle Bagsby (MG)
Recent Reads: The Third Kind of Magic by Elizabeth Forest (MG)

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: The Third Kind of Magic by Elizabeth Forest

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

The Third Kind of Magic by Elizabeth Forest

Series: Crow Magic #1
Publisher:  Arbori Books
Publication Date:  March 17. 2018

 

Format:  Ebook

Rating:


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

Can one twelve-year-old girl fight a witch?

Exiled from her village for accidentally using advanced magic, Suli must either become a wise woman or be shunned as a witch.

She's apprenticed to the wise woman Tala, but Suli's magical education is cut short when a witch kidnaps her teacher to learn the secret of shape-shifting.

Suli discovers she too has inherited the shape-shifting ability. and even without her teacher, learns to fly and to talk to animals.

Then the witch asks Suli to make a terrible choice: Suli must live with the witch as her apprentice, or she’ll never see Tala again.

But if she agrees, she’ll be called a witch for the rest of her life. 

Review: 
This was a delightful book with magic, fantasy, and mystery all rolled up into a middle grade read. The story is about Suli, who is learning to become a Wise Woman for her village and in order to learn she is sent away. However, it is hard times for anyone learning or using magic; some think that all magic users are witches, so those who depend on it for the reasons are often in trouble.

Suli is inquisitive and strong throughout the book, and she does grow quite a bit as she learns the pros and cons of magic and how to become a Wise Woman. She is faced with learning about how to use her magic properly but also learning that there is more than just black and white to everything, there are grey areas and how she should fall into them, if needed. Like learning all this isn't enough, there is also witch trying to kidnap her as well to find out the secrets of her mentor. 

The overall story is engaging and there are enough mysteries and questions throughout to keep the reader wanting more - I really enjoyed it. I think younger middle grade readers will also enjoy, especially if they like magic and fantasy.