Lost Volumes: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three
by Marsha A Moore
by Marsha A Moore
Oct 12, 2012
Oct 11, 2012
Early Reader Review: Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch
Available: Now!! October 1st, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Background: Glenn and her father have been living in the Colloquium for 10 years since her mother disappeared. Her father is a bit of a scientist, probably closer to the insane kind than the insightful. One day her father seems to go off the deep end and starts announcing that Glenn’s mother never really disappeared but went beyond the forbidden border and now they have to get her back with some glow-y crazy bracelet he has invented. While trying to help Glenn accidentally gets the Authority called on herself and her father and has to rush away, she ends up across the border and discovers that everything she has learned was a lie, and what really exists is Magisterium.
Review: This book has a kick-a** creepy cover and the premise seemed so awesome. Sadly I was a little let down. I was very confused throughout reading this, there were so many characters and details that the plot and the important characters seemed to get lost in it all. Magisterium is an amazing place full of the creepy, off-kilter, strange things that can only exist there, but there creepiness is often downplayed and the characters are likable enough but I never really grew attached to any of them, just followed them. I think what makes a great story is the connection you make with the characters and feel as if you are with them throughout their adventure, in Magisterium, I did not feel like that. I think the most I felt for a character was the cat, Hopkins.
I enjoyed the complexity of the world Hirsch created, it was beautiful, but I just felt like a lot was lost in translation.
EBook received from Scholastic Inc and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Read the First Three Chapters Here
Oct 10, 2012
Early Reader Review: Humbug Witch by Lorna Balian
Humbug Witch by Lorna Balian
Available: Now!- reprint Publisher: Star Bright Books
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Background: A republished version of a children's book from 1965, Humbug Witch is all about a very scary witch who just can't get her witch-y ways just quite right.
Review: Adorable. Since it is so close to Halloween and I love witches I requested to read this title and it made me giggle. The colors are super bright and fun, and there is a beautiful ending to this very short children's read that would make anyone smile.
Recommended for young readers and those who enjoy witches.
Review copy provided by Star Bright Books and Netgalley in Exchange for an honest review.
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Audiobook Review: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver
Publisher: Random House Audio, Listening Library 
Available: NOW!! Audiobook- August 28th, 2012
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Background: Liesl is a young girl locked away in an attic by her evil stepmother, and to make matters worse her father has recently passed away. One day Liesl meets Po and Bundle, ghost that have come to visit her in the attic and they begin an incredible journey to return her fathers ashed to where he would like to rest forever.
While Liesl is locked up, Will is an orphan boy recent adopted by an alchemist. Will is the "apprentice" which really just means that he does all the jobs and deliveries and gets called useless all day and night.
Eventually Liesl and Will's stories intertwine and together with Po and Bundle they have a very interesting series of days.
Review: I received this as an Audiobook from Random House, and was very happy to have chosen it as one of my books to review. Liesl and Po was delightful to listen to and the reader was wonderful. I think my favorite was him doing an old woman sneezing... anywho... The story was well thought out and who doesn't love a happy ending, but I can only say that I just "liked" it not really liked it or loved it.
The plot was nicely thought out, the kids making their ways toward each other slowly; and the characters- all of them- were entertaining in their own ways. But more often than not, I found myself questioning things and wondering why there were so many nasty people all thrown at these poor little kids.
From what I understand, this was written to cope with loss and you can definitely tell that, but it also makes the reader think a lot about loss and that can be a little depressing.
I did enjoy this book, it was fun and kept me wanting to know what would happen to Liesl, Will, and Po next.
I think for a young audience this would be fitting, as hopefully, they have not experienced too much loss yet, so they won't be depressed to think about it. Or for those who need a pick me up about finding friends when you need them.
Audiobook received from Random House Audio in exchange for an honest review.
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Oct 8, 2012
Giveaway!! Happily Ever After Hop
The Happily Ever After Giveaway Hop
October 9th to 14th
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Murphy's Library
Prize: A Hardback copy of Beauty (A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast) by Robin McKinley
Rules:
Must be 13 or Older
Have a U.S. Mailing address.
Recent Reads: Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
Liar & Spy by Rebecca SteadPublisher: Random House Kids
Available: NOW?? August 7, 2012
Format: ARC
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Background: Georges (silent S) has recently had to move out of his home and into an apartment in the city, he still goes to the same school with the same bully kids, but he is about to make a very strange friend, Safer. Safer and The Spy Club come into Georges life as her arrives at his new home and the adventures to come are both fun and scary, especially when Safer starts to ask him to do serious spy things.
Review: This was an adorable read. I really enjoyed the way Georges leads the reader into his life and his experiences. Stead did a wonderful job keeping the reader guessing, and it is for 9-12 year-olds, and I am a lot older than that and was enthralled the whole way through. The character building is wonderful, the plot is interesting and there were enough twists to keep anyone glued to the story.
I highly recommend this for adults and middle grade readers alike. I was a beautiful tale about friendship, coping, and progressive ways to deal with bullying.
Book was won through RandomBuzzers giveaway.
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Oct 7, 2012
Building the Book Pile #23
Welcome to Building the Book Pile! A Weekly meme inspired
here at Cover2CoverBlog.
So some fun things happened this week on the blog, I had a bunch of new stuff and reviews (finally), and my sister Cecilia has a review posted this week (which is super awesome because she is super awesome).
So some fun things happened this week on the blog, I had a bunch of new stuff and reviews (finally), and my sister Cecilia has a review posted this week (which is super awesome because she is super awesome).
Coming up this week on the blog...
Happily Giveaway Hop
Review: Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver
Review: Magisterium by Jeff Hirsh
Cover Reveal?
Here's what I got this week...
Ebooks for Review
Hyde by Lauren Stewart from Bewitching book Tours and Author
Few are Angels by Inger Iversen from Bewitching Book Tours and Author
Books for Review
Few are Angels by Inger Iversen from Bewitching Book Tours and Author
Books for Review
Lily the Silent by Tod Davies from Author and Librarything Early Reviewers program.
Did you miss anything this week?
Oct 6, 2012
Cecilia's Review: Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy
Small Medium at Large by Joanne LevyPublisher: Bloomsbury
Available: Now!!!
Pages: 208, Hardcover
The below review and background summary are compliments of my sister Cecilia. She is in 6th grade and love to read. She is also her school's president and an awesome little sister. Please enjoy her just as amazing review of Small Medium at Large.
Background: This book is about a 12 year old girl named Lilah Bloom. In the story Lilah is struck by lightning and when struck develops a strange talent, she can speak to and hear the dead. When she receives the gift she immediately gets to speak to her dead grandmother Bubby Dora and some other interesting ghosts help Lilah through some tough times like producing a fashion show. Along with her extraordinary talent she also has to deal with her everyday middle school life including her love life and that definitely puts a lot of pressure on Lilah’s hands.
Review: I thought Small Medium at Large was a really
entertaining book. I enjoyed the character’s fascinating personalities. I loved
how all the characters had distinct and unique traits. Though I think the author
should have added a certain town, state, or country just to be a bit more
specific. Also, I enjoyed the different types of conflict that were placed in
the story, like the relationship between Lilah and her soon to be friend Dolly Madison.*SPOILER ALERT* One more thing, I enjoyed the twist at the
end with Lilah’s dad and Andrew’s mom, I thought it was a clever and creative
thing to do at the end of the book and it was a smart way to give Lilah’s
single dad a date that he enjoys.
Copy was received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Copy was received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Hardcover
Kindle
Trailer
Oct 5, 2012
Blog Tour: Excerpt & Review -- Wisteria by Bisi Leyton
Wisteria (Wisteria Series Book 1) by Bisi Leyton
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
ASIN: B008XRI3BA
Number of pages: 275
Word Count: 90,000
Cover Artist: Olivia Smith
Amazon
Synopsis
Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to survive among the hordes of living dead.Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen before, but somehow knows.
Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies.
Trailer
Wisteria by Bisi LeytonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Background: Wisteria is living on a island with her mom, brother, and a community of scientists and soldiers, attempting to survive the Nero disease. The Nero disease hit and made everyone biters, flesh eaters, and Wisteria is just a teenage girl trying to live a semi-normal life. One day she is attacked by too many biters while out of the compound, and she awakens in a strange home with very beautiful teenage boys taking care of her. These are a strange group and she only wants to get home, but there is something about these different people that intrigues her.
Review: I have been on a zombie book kick apparently... which works well because it is October and Halloween is right around the corner. Wisteria was a great read, it had some of the things that I love about zombie books and movies, but also had some good twists. So my likes-- Wisteria is a strong female who can use a weapon and hold her own, but she is also the outcast and she is bullied non-stop throughout the book, and I think that made me relate to her more than just having a strong girl lead. The Nero premise was very cool and creepy, the community if afraid of being attacked and torn apart by flesh eaters, but it also had a very Resident Evil feel, always someone fighting their way through. There were some wonderfully written creepy survivor parts. Then there was the main story- line of Wisteria and Bach (one of the strange boys), this was by far the most interesting part, Bach and his companions are nor from Terra (Earth) they are just here to watch it die, and Wisteria and he have met before but neither of them can figure out when or where. This is what kept me reading,I needed to find out.
Some dislikes- very typical zombie, dystopia-- ahh there are zombies, we have to survive! I get it, there are flesh eaters and you are striving to live...sadly this has been done...a lot. So if it had not been for the weird alien boys I would not have read to the end.
So if you have a thing for zombie books, you should obviously go get this one same if you like green-eyed boys that aren't from Earth.
E-book provided by the author and Bewitching Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Excerpt
As she walked back to the ridge of the roof, Bach’s heart went with her. Someone had tried to hurt her. Tried to damage what belonged to him, and who he belonged to.He started to feel dizzy from the volumes of strangle weed planted in the front of her house.“Thank you so much for coming and for the guitar. It’s perfect.” She gave it back to him.“No, it is yours, Wisteria.” He refused to take it. “Do you not like it?”“No, I love it. It’s so beautiful.”“Then keep it.” He kissed her neck. Knowing—hoping—his touch would soothe her pain, but he hadn’t come here to comfort her.“Bach.” She used her instrument as a shield as she moved away from him. “It’s a bad idea. You won’t understand.”“You are right. I do not get why you would refuse something you apparently love,” he whispered while rubbing her forearms and taking in her scent.“If I accept your kindness, then I’ll have to face the consequences. I don’t know if I can face those.”“You cannot face accepting my kindness, or is it accepting me that you cannot face?”“Um…?”“Tell me that you do not feel the same,” he whispered. “That the moment you first saw me that I did not get inside your head. Tell me that you do not think about me all of the time when we are not together?”The dark-eyed girl did not answer.Wishing he could will her to speak, he pressed her against his chest. Briefly, he noticed a black spot at the base of her neck, where he had kissed her, and then it was gone. “Okay, Wisteria. Then tell me that you want me to leave, and that you do not care if you never ever see me again.” He felt like someone else was speaking for him, once again. The questions became pointless as he found himself still planting kisses along her neck and the sides of her face.“I can’t tell you that, Bach,” she replied softly, her voice breaking. “Because it’s not true.” She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.Desperately wanting to kiss her luscious-looking lips, he leaned into her.Wisteria reached up to him, tugging his head down as she stood on the very tips of her toes, seemingly just as eager to taste his lips.“Wisteria, I cannot.” He broke away before it happened. “I do not want this.”* * * * *Wrapping her arms around herself, she moved away from him. Once again, humiliated and feeling foolish. “Goodnight, Bach!” She strode angrily to the side of the roof in order to climb down.He grabbed her and held her backThe guy came here just to tease her, yet again! Didn’t he know he was hurting her? Didn’t he care? “I’m tired of all this nonsense. I’m actually tired and need some sleep. I’m done with this. All of this!” She should’ve left the roof when she saw him appear. “Let go, so I can go.”“Wisteria, it is not that.” Exhaling heavily, he released her. “My people could kill you if they knew I wanted you.”This wasn’t at all what she’d expected him to say. “What?”“I am in love with you. I do not know why, but I am. And it is selfish, because I just want you for myself.” Sadness filled his eyes as he spoke.“Why would they do that to me?”“Because you are human and because we see humans as Terran, or dirt people.”“And you believe that too? So why are you here, living among us, if we’re so disgusting?”“You are not disgusting. You are beautiful.” Rubbing his temples, he seemed troubled and bewildered. “I came to Terra as a rite of passage. To be considered a man, to take a journey and experience the wild.”“The wild?”“I chose Terra, or Earth, because I came here as a child. Your people treated me so badly in the past. When I learned about the Nero disease, I wanted to see your world.” He paused. “You were right when you said there was something wrong with me.”“Bach, it cannot be that bad.” Stepping up to him, she stroked her fingers along his biceps.The sweet motion made him smile at her, but he still looked distressed.“Like about Garfield, you let him live with you. And now you’re here with me.”“You are not like the rest.”“Neither are you. You’re not so cold and cruel like Enric or patronizing like Felip. They think they’re better than us. You just hate people because you’re a jerk, Bach.”“Ha.” Bach laughed. “A jerk?”“You’re a big jerk.” As the final word rolled from her lips, he kissed her.She was stunned for a second. His lips tasted like a strange, tantalizing spice.He squeezed her against his larger frame and rested his right hand on the small of her back.She fidgeted, unsure about what to do with her hands. She tried to kiss him back, but she struggled because she was so short.
About the Author
Bisi Leyton was born in East London in 1978. She grew up in London, Nigeria and the States, listening to the stories life and love from aunts, cousins and big sisters.
She lives in London, but has worked around Europe including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Czech Republic. She has a fondness for reading graphic novels.
Giveaway
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Oct 3, 2012
Early Reader Review: The Infects by Sean Beaudoin
The Infects by Sean BeaudoinAvailable: Now!!!, Sept 25th, 2012
Publisher: Candlewick Press
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Background: Nick aka Nero has been sent away to juvenile delinquent camp for bleeding all over chicken at his job and while he is away rehabilitating some weird things start to happen. Nick along with his "camp" mates soon become part of their worst nightmare when their peers and counselors become zombies, yup straight outta the movies, zombies.
Review: It took me a little while to read this book, not for lack of excitement or witty-ness, but you can only have so many zombies before falling asleep... I had zombie dreams for about a week. What does this say about Beaudoin's writing- IT IS AWESOME! His characters, Nick, and the others are hilarious, even in the face of dangers and while being eaten. The descriptions are right on, zombie kids eating someone in a pot-o-potty?... I mean, what is not to love?
Some things that took some getting used to: Nick aka Nero talks to the reader like an audience- cool but weird, he does this to state his "Zombrules." Then there is The Rock, yes, wrestler, actor, producer man with the eyebrow thing- he is in Nick's head, sort of... Nick hears someone talking to him and the voice is that of the Rock. So there is a lot of question as to if Nick is talking to others or himself, or hallucinating...
I must say though, that the ending was my favorite, it was ready for some BS it was all a dream cop-out, but that didn't happen and I am super thankful for it. I was also super excited when an explanation was given for the Zombie outbreak and what had caused it all, I think that is what some zombie movies and books are lacking recently. So good show Beaudoin!
If you are a zombie lover or a fan of chicken-- yes I know this sounds weird-- go grab this book!
Book received from Librarything Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review.
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