FREE EBOOK!

Source

I just received an email from Tamara Rose Blodgett. Her book, Death Whispers, reviewed earlier this week on my blog is free at amazon, itunes, Smashwords, etc. in honor of the second book in the Death series, Death Speaks, release.

Go check it out and have a great weekend!

Review: Death Whispers by Tamara Rose Blodgett

Hello all! Today is a book review day. Yay!

Up for today is Death Whispers by Tamara Rose Blodgett. Go here to visit her blog. It's full of information about her and her books, including where to buy them.

Summary on Goodreads.com:
"Almost fifteen-year-old Caleb Hart is a Cadaver-Manipulator in the year 2025.

When teens receive a government-sanctioned pharmaceutical cocktail during school, paranormal abilities begin manifesting... making the teens more powerful than the adults.

After Caleb discovers he has the rare, "Affinity for the Dead," he must do whatever it takes to hide it from a super-secret government agency whose goal is exploitation.

Caleb seeks refuge in his new girlfriend, Jade, until he realizes that she needs as much protection from her family, as he does from the government.

Suddenly, Caleb finds that hiding his ability while protecting Jade and his friends is a full time job; can he escape the government, protect Jade and lose the bullies that are making him miserable?"

My Review:

I'll have to let you find out the answer to that question on your own. 

The thing that stood out to me most in this book was the main character, Caleb. He definitely has his own personality. He seems like a genuine kid who is just finding out the world around him isn't exactly what he thought it was. That itself is what makes this book an interesting read. For me the most confusing and important part of life is those in between years. Where you're not a kid exactly and you're definitely not an adult. You're figuring out the world around you and you're figuring out who you are as a person. That's exactly what Caleb is going through during this book. But he isn't a regular kid, he's also has a twinge of paranormal activity that follows him around, making his life a lot more interesting.

Zombies. I've stated on another book review on this blog that I am not a fan of the undead. While I'm still not a fan of the undead, I did like the zombies in this book. They were creepy and a little comical, but not it a goofy sort of way where you could forget they are dangerous. 

What to watch out for: 
The language the characters use is strong and politically incorrect. It could even be offensive. It's accurate with their age and immaturity, but it is something to look out for. The mother character often chastises the characters who do speak that way. So, it's not like it's viewed as acceptable in the book. It is a sign of the characters immaturity.

Overall, I'd say Death Whispers is an interesting read. I'd recommend it to middle schoolers who are really  into zombies. Parents could use the language as an introduction into a discussion on why it is important to speak correctly and accurately. 

Best Book in April at Ink Slingers

Source

To see the entire critique group's best book of April go here!

April's book of the month goes to:

Welding Technology Fundamentals

(I would have given them bonus points if they changed it to Funde'metals', ha ha.) <--please excuse me, it's finals week.

Anywho, this may seem like an off the wall selection, but not as off as you might think.


Ever heard the expression, write what you know? I have about a million times. What happens though if you have the perfect solution to your plot problem but it means 'Mike' who used to work at a desk job, actually has to work in a motocycle shop for everything to work out? Give up? NEVER! Your solution is to buy a textbook.


Text books can come in every variety but there's one thing that makes them different than any random information you could dig up on mororcyle shops on the internet:
It's guarenteed to be correct. That, my friends is worth the expense.


I'm the first to complain about a teacher who insists on the newest version because on page 88 they changed "a" to "the." It's a pain for poor college students like me, but it means great news for writers like you. It floods the book markets with college textbooks just a year or so old and sells them cheap. (We're talking 20 bucks a pop or less on some) Most of the time they just change a couple pictures or a phrase here or there. 99% of the time the information is the same.*

*this is a completely made up statistic. Made up, but with strong personal opinoin backing it from a college student in the know.

So, what do you think? Ready to invest in some textbooks? If you are there's of course amazon.com. There's also half.com and a sleu of others with a simple google search.

Best Book in January at Ink Slingers and Contest Results

Yesterday, I had a random contest and we have two winners (I couldn't choose. They were both awesome) The winners should have received an email with instructions, if not, email me at bkaymattingly@yahoo.com.
Congrats to:
~Nicole Ducleroir~ said...

I always compare writing to quilt-making. Not so original, I know. And a quilt is a metaphor for pretty much any aspect of life -- hell, of life itself!

Demitria said...

I always thought writing was like knitting...you sort of pluck away at it until you come to the end...but then you have to go back and tie up the loose strings.

On to our regular scheduled post...

Go here to read the other Ink Slinger's best books or continue to read on my thoughts with Coraline.

Best (Or only) book I read in January goes to......
Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I read this quick middle grade just a couple days ago and was astounded by two things:

The vocabulary.

The story.

The vocabulary in this quick read was really complicated for the grade level in my opinion. There were some words that even I had to think about twice, and I like to think I have a pretty good vocabulary. I think for a middle grade or even young adult reader it would be very challenging.

The story was freaky and scary (Ella, totally a book made for you) in a good way. Coraline basically lets curiosity get the best of her and travels into another world. In this world, there are a lot of creepy things including rats (ewww) and a woman who looks like her mother, but isn't, and wants to replace her eyes with black buttons. TOTALLY CREEPY!!!!! 

Now, I'm dying to see the movie now :) As an adult, I like it. As a kid, I think it'd really give me bad dreams. (Kinda like the Nightmare before Christmas did) If you're a fan of that though, you're guaranteed to love this book.

Have you read it? Plan on reading it? What about the movie? Let me know in the comments!

Library Literature: Snippet and Reveal

Book up for Reveal:

Title: FIRE (companion book to GRACELING)

Author: Kristin Cashore 

Snippet:

Man or Monster? Curse or Cure? Girl or Manipulator? Love or Rejection? Truth or Selfishness?

Snippet Rating: 

Thumbs up/sideways. I liked this novel at this point. The main character was likeable and well written. 

Reveal:

Thumbs up! Overall, it was a good book. The ending was complete for the most part and I enjoyed the story it told. The imagry was really a big part of the love I have for this book. A part of that comes from the unique qualities of the main character. (She has bright red hair and startlingly green eyes) It's set in a world that is completely believable and yet incredibly exotic. As a plus, I got to see what made the main villian in CHANGELING the man he became. I would recommend this book to high school-ish age and above and especially to anyone who loves vivid imagry that doesn't take over the dialogue and the plot. 

Up for Snippet:

Title: SISTERS RED

Author: Jackson Pearce

Currently on page: 212

Snippet:

Girls: Sisters. Tangled, entertwined with each other. One and yet two. Together. Forever. Plus one?

Snippet Rating:

Thumbs up. So far it's a great story. I get the feeling that something is about to happen, like this huge thing that's going to push it all over the edge, I just need to keep reading and get there...now. Like ASAP. Soooo.....yeah, gonna go now. 

So, read anything new lately? Either of the above mentioned books? What are your thoughts? And as always, I'm looking for the next thing to read-got any suggestions? Let me know in the comments!

THE Chronicles PART 2: Final Battle and Final Verdict

I have this thing about a book series...it's a phrase that basically sums up my thoughts on whether or not a book should be in a series.

Make it epic, or don't make it at all.

Did I think C.S. Lewis made The Last Battle epic?
Errrrmmmm, well, kinda sorta.
I know, I know. What kinda answer is that?

Here's my reasoning:
It was so small.

I know it's not great to compare books because it's a different author and different story, but in this case, I don't think Lewis would mind, I mean, afterall J.R.R. Tolkien was his good friend and writing buddy. So let's take Tolkein's famous stuff and set it in a fighting ring against Lewis'.

Ding! Ding!

Tolkien:
Huge battalions of men, elephants, orcs, dwarves, elves, horses, and even hobbits pittled against each other.

Lewis:
Small grouping of 30 or so warriors, animal, human, centaur, fawn, and dwarf, against a by far bigger group with the advantage of terrorism and fear.




Ordinarily, I'd automatically say hands down, no contest, Tolkein wins. Who's the winner between Tolkien and Lewis? There isn't one. Both are epic. Here's the thing. (This is also why this post is not a review and doesn't belong under Library Literature, I'm telling you a bit of what happens). Lewis wasn't really talking about the battle as the "Last Battle." (Insert your own interpretation here) He was talking about the final battle between life and death or life, or life and immortality with a higher being. The wars in Narnia were long lost before this final moment, the land of Narnia had already been spent.

^This is what makes the Chronicles of Narnia epic.^

^This is what also makes me go errrmmmmm.^

  

I was expecting The Last Battle to be epic, I was expecting it to be phenomenal, full of action and moments where I held my breath,  and while there were a few of those, it was not the kind of battle I expected. So in that way I was slightly let down. However, the final chapter of the Chronicles did give me something I absolutely didn't expect (when I didn't really get the battle I wanted) and that was resolution. It was complete. That above anything is what I love to see. I want more adventures in Narnia, I want more of everything, but I am satisfied as far as the plot and story lines go for the series.

Now the question you've all been waiting for.....

Does it make THE shelf?

Yes. (Technically, it isn't posted on that page/tab yet, but it'll make it there.)

So, what's your reaction? Surprised? Not at all? Any comments on the fact that Tolkein's books didn't make the shelf? (I guess we know who the winner is now:) Any books that make your "THE BOOK" shelf? Let me know in the comments!

THE Chronicles PART 1

Quick recap: I have felt remiss ever since I noticed pretty much everyone has read the Chronicles of Narnia except me. So, I challenged myself to read them all before the new year, and I did. Here's what I thought:

*SIGH*

I feel like a sigh is nearly all I need to write. A sigh sums it up. It is everything. 

It says:

No, I didn't actually do this one. It's near Lewis' birthplace.

• I wish I was in Narnia.
• I wish I was Narnian.
• I wish I was a Pevensie, except Susan of course. Does the girl know the meaning of awesomeness? I don't think so.
• I have totally been bemused and bewildered by lamposts ever since reading it.
• I'm pretty sure some future child of mine (no, no, not yet or even soon) will be enamored with this world and I will turn their bedroom into a mural of dedication.
• Nope, scratch that last. I'm turning my future writing office into a mural of dedication to Narnia.
• I'm going to have a panic attack if they don't make any more Narnia movies
• I'm already re-reading them.
• I'm mesmerized by C.S. Lewis and his relationship with J.R.R. Tolkein.
• I want to write with description like Lewis did.
• I want a world that's alive for my readers.
• I will sit and stare out my window, no matter the season, take away all the complications of this world and let my imagination run wild with centaurs, giants, dwarfs, and fawns.

So, I'm sure you're wondering (as f you don't already know the answer) is it THE book worthy? Could it possibly be on THE book shelf? Is it going to join The Giver and Harry Potter? Well, you're just going to have to wait until tomorrow to find out when I go in depth with the final book of the Chronicles and give my final verdict. However, I will leave you with this funny pic below to tide you over until tomorrow:

Library Literature: Reveal and Snippet

So, had a nice break from blogging and got my life in order, at least, for the time being. :) What can I say? The life of a college writer farmer girl has it's unpredicability. However, I am pleased to say that I worked extra hard over the holidays to get a lot of reading in and this means more reviews for you! So here's the first batch (and later this week my 3 part series on the Chronicles of Narnia!).

(I must say I'm terribly sorry for making you wait MONTHS for the reveal, rather rude of me. Sorry!)
Book up for Reveal:

Title: Graceling

Author: Kristin Cashore 

Snippet:

Girl with mad skills. Boy...curious. Connection=Perfection. Bigger world at stake, learning to change.

Snippet Rating: 

Thumbs UP! I was loving this book where I stopped to review it and could hardly process because of the love I had for it. WONDERFUL.

Reveal:

Thumbs STILL way UP! It was fabulous. I'll need to read it again to see if it's THE BOOK shelf ready (see here if you're scratching your head), but it was a highly enjoyable read. I'd definitely recommend it for high school age people and adults. The characters are the main shining point of this book and Cashore really makes them work for their shine. *On a sidenote, there is a bit of a love scene in the book, so caution to younger readers, but it was tasteful and not overly descriptive.*

Book up for Snippet:

Title: FIRE (companion book to GRACELING)

Author: Kristin Cashore 

Currently on page: 208

Snippet:

Man or Monster? Curse or Cure? Girl or Manipulator? Love or Rejection? Truth or Selfishness?

Rating: Thumbs up/sideways. I like this novel. The main character is likeable and well written. I don't think I love it as much as I did Graceling at this stage, but it's intriguing and a very good book so far and I look forward to getting the answers to all of my questions. :)

So, what about you? Read any awesome books ready that you'd like to suggest for me? Have you read GRACELING or FIRE? Let me know in the comments! 

P.S. Anyone else just having a good day because it's 1/11/11? I love quirky things like that.

Library Literature: Reveal and Snippit

Hello all! I know I haven't done a Library Literature in a while so I thought I'd give you a reminder of what it is. (If you remember feel free to move on down the post) Since I received a job at the library, I find I have more time to read more stuff :) Which is totally awesome. I can actually read about a book a week. So I'm doing a weekly book review every Wednesday. I'll give you a 15 word snippet of the book I'm currently reading and a reveal of my final thoughts from the book the week before. Simple, fun, and educational, right?

Book up for Reveal: Forest of Hands and Teeth
Author: Carrie Ryan
Snippet:

Girl who wants freedom. Light: gone forevermore. Ocean, hope of what could be...or not.

Snippet Rating: Thumbs sideways. At the time I was conflicted. I thought the quality of writing was superb, but the topic for me didn't grab me by the throat. It actually kind of made me sad. 

Reveal:

Thumbs down. I'm sorry to all who loved this story, but for me, I just couldn't get into it enough, though through no fault of the author. The writing was awesome! The topic of zombies just wasn't for me. If I was giving this a normal review, I'd probably classify it in the A BOOK category. See here for my scale. I would absolutely recommend it to zombie lovers everywhere based on the quality of the writing, but if you're not really into that...I'd check out something else. 

Book up for Snippet:

Title: Graceling

Author: Kristin Cashore 

Currently on page: 244

Snippet:

Girl with mad skills. Boy...curious. Connection=Perfection. Bigger world at stake, learning to change.

Rating: 

Thumbs UP! I am really loving this tale. The author is weaving it all so perfectly. The characters have flaws, they are real, they are changing...I think anyway. There's so much to this book it makes my mind feel like a dried up sponge. I CAN NOT WAIT to finish. Literally, my super-awesome-sidekick-roomie had to take it away from me so I wouldn't read it when I was supposed to be writing. I could gush all day about this book. As long as the ending holds out, I think this might be one for THE BOOKS shelf...I know, not since Hunger Games book1 and Harry Potter before that, has a book made it to that shelf. See here if you're confused. 

What about you? Have you read either of these or plan to? Did I crush you when I gave my reveal for The Forest of Hands and Teeth? (I'm sorry if I did) Let me know in the comments!


Oh, and if you want part of your WiP or your query letter to have the chance to be reviewed by 5 pairs of eyes, then head over to the Ink Slingers and comment on the question of the day. AND don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY! Go here to comment, because that's just how easy it is to get a chance to win 1 of 6 awesome prizes! :)

Library Literature: Reveal and Snippet

Last week I started this Library Literature post thing (go here to get more info) and for those of you who don't know, basically I'm reading a book a week and halfway through the book, or there abouts, I will post a 15 word snippet on it and give the book a thumbs up, down, or sideways. The following I post the reveal, aka what I thought of it, and a snippet to the book I'm reading this week. So, here we go:

Book up for Reveal:
Title: Beautiful Creatures
Authors: Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl
Snippet:

Dark. Yet with some light. A girl. What the heck? IT'S HER! Aww, they're talking. 

Snippet Rating: THUMBS UP! I could not wait to finish this book!

Reveal:

THUMBS still waaaaay UP!!! Loved the ending, loved the book. I just thought it was wonderful. I really can't wait to get the next in the series Beautiful Darkness which comes out in just a few days!!! This has potential to go into the THE BOOK category for me. See this post for an explanation of what THE BOOK means. I'm waiting until the sequel comes out for a final call. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would totally recommend to all. 

P.S. the MC is a boy and I love that. It's very refreshing. 

Book up for Snippet:

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Author: Carrie Ryan

Currently on page: 74

Snippet: 

Girl who wants freedom. Light: gone forevermore. Ocean, hope of what could be...or not.

Rating:

Thumbs sideways. I really like the writing quality of this book, but I'm not completely hooked on the story. It kind of makes me down and depressed because the main character does not have much choice or hope in her future. I really can't wait to see how this novel turns out though. I'm excited to find out!!!

So, what about you? Have you read anything fantastic lately? Any recommendations? Have you read the two books I mentioned? Let me know what you think in the comments!

Library Literature: Snippit

Now that I'm working at the library I find that I have a lot more time to read. This is because I have about three to five minutes between helping people at the service desk. Trying to do homework in that amount of time is too fustrating, but I can read a few sentances if I'm lucky and it's easy to find my spot. All this reading makes me HAPPY!  Why? I used to read about a book a month...on the weekend...when I'm actually at school....when I'm not doing something else, like studying. Yeah, kind of fustrating. Now though, I'm getting through about a book a week. Did you hear that? I said I AM READING A BOOK A WEEK!!!!!! *sigh* It's wonderful. So, here's my proposal:

PROPOSAL:

I'm going to do a fifteen word snippit on the book I'm reading along with a thumbs up or a thumbs down

(or a thumbs sideways if that's possible).

• 
  
  It will be called: Library Literature: Snippit/Reveal.
• 
  
  It will be when I'm only part of the way through the book and HAVE NOT read the ending.
• 
  
  It will be short and sweet. 15 words no more, no less and in my own language, which some may not consider proper English (I call it fun). 
• 
  
  They will probably be YA but not necessarily.
• 
  
  It will happen on WEDNESDAY'S. (Except today. Today is an exception...hopefully I can keep this Wednesday schedule...no promises (It's just, I know me....very well).
• 
  
  On the Wednesday after I do a snippit. I'll review my final thoughts on the book from the week before and introduce a new book with a new snippit. I'll also let you know if it keeps it's thumbs up/down/sideways rating or if it's changed.

Book this week is:

Title: Beautiful Creatures

Authors: Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl

Currently on page: 102

Snippit:

Dark. Yet with some light. A girl. What the heck? IT'S HER! Aww, they're talking.

Rating:

Thumbs UP! I can't wait to figure this novel out. I hope it's as good as it has been thus far.

You tell me. Have you read Beautiful Creatures? Is the ending good? Is it really good? Do you like this snippit/reveal idea? Let me know in the comments!

SSR: Summary, Review, Recommendation.

My goal this year was to read the Chronicles of Narnia by Christmas. As you might be able to tell, I'm off to a bit of a slow start. I did however, make a start I guess that means something. I read the first book in this wonderful series by C.S. Lewis just a few weeks ago and was floored by two things: creativity and imagery.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew

Summary: Digory and his friend Polly travel to the Wood between Worlds via Digory's half-crazy, magician man, uncle's yellow and green rings and end up in a world quite unlike the one they come from, called Charn. While there, Digory, as most young boys and girls would do, lets curiosity get to him. He frees the last ruler of Charn, Jadis, an evil queen. An insane adventure begins as the two children try to get rid of the queen and end up finding Aslan, a talking lion and creator of all things in Narnia but not all is well because the two children are not alone, the evil queen has come with them to the new land and threatens all the good things that Aslan has created. 

After learning that Digory has brought Jadis to Narnia, Aslan sends him on a mission to get a magical apple. He uses the apple to grow a tree that will act as a shield of protection from Jadis for all the other peoples of Narnia. After seeing all that Aslan can do, Digory begs him to do something to save his mother, who is sick with an illness. From this new tree, Aslan gives Digory an apple so that he may go back home and give it to his mother. This apple is a special thing and it is hardly finished after curing Digory's mother, it grows into a beautiful tree and well, the rest is up to you to read. 

Review:

I found this book charming and as I mentioned before, it was wonderfully filled with imagery and creativity. It left me wondering what would happen and at the same time revealed several worlds so completely it was like the book was really a movie playing itself out in my mind. Truly magnificent! Here's a quote from the book so you can begin to understand the richness of this text if you haven't read it. 

"Things always work out according to their nature. She has won her heart's desire; she has unwearying strength and endless days like a goddess. But length of days with an evil heart is only length of misery and she already begins to know it. All get what they want; they do not always like it." -Aslan after Jadis has stolen an apple and eaten it for herself. 

Recommendation:

 There really isn't anyone I wouldn't recommend this book to. It can be a bit long winded for some really young children, but students in third grade and beyond could easily comprehend it. Beyond the imagery and creativeness, this book is frocked with morals from issues with stealing from others, to understanding how one person's actions can change the course of many other people's history. Truly a must read that I will definitely be reading again.

So, what do you think? Have you read the Chronicles? Will you? Don't forget to go here to enter my contest!

SRR! (Summary, Review and Recommendation) of Seer's Destiny by Aubrie Dionne

Summary:

Years of regret have plagued fortune teller, Vira, who tells her customers exactly as she sees it, straight from her crystal ball. The source of her regret is a lost love, someone she hasn't seen for years, at least, not not in the flesh before her. A blood filled vision has frequented her crystal ball repeatedly, one that shows her lost love finding her once again. Heart throbbing she waits for the day when the vision will come true, after all, her visions are always right and this one may have her life changed forevermore.

Review:

Vira's thrilling story is told with descriptive detail that fills the mind with colorful scenery of carnival life without crowding the plot or characters. Whilst reading this I was left with a squirming thought that things would work out alright...I just couldn't figure out how. This puzzle kept me reading through this tale of love, courage, and faith.

Recommendation:

I would recommend this ebook for anyone looking for a quick read that will keep your mind spinning with thrilling descriptions and the question of how and if Vira will get her happy ending. If you're interested you can get more information on Seer's Destiny and Aubrie's other works at her blog, http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com/.