Fantasy

Tiger’s Voyage by Colleen Houck

 in Adventure / At the Library / Book Reviews / Books / Fantasy / Fiction / Hot Off The Press / Interesting / Young Adult by

Summary
The third book in the gripping Tiger’s Curse series!
With the head-to-head battle against the villainous Lokesh behind her, Kelsey confronts a new heartbreak: in the wake of his traumatic experience, her beloved Ren no longer remembers who she is. As the trio continues their quest by challenging five cunning and duplicitous dragons, Ren and Kishan once more vie for her affections–leaving Kelsey more confused than ever.
Fraught with danger, filled with magic, and packed with romance, Tiger’s Voyage brings Kelsey and her two tiger princes one step closer to breaking the curse.
-From Amazon.com
Review
WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!!!!! This book was AMAZING. The story was so captivating and I just could not put it down. There was so much romance, humor, and action and everything else that a great book should need. IT WAS AMAZING. I cannot wait for the next book Tiger’s Destiny which I believe is coming out in the Summer of 2012. The ending of the book kind of left you wondering and wanting to, no, needing to know what happened next. I am currently dying. I have to know what happens next in the story ASAP. But I know I said the same thing for Tiger’s Curse and Tiger’s Quest but this book tops them all. I liked this one the best out of them all. I just cannot describe it other than saying GET OUT TO YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY. This is a must read series and if you don’t, you are missing out one something great.
Tell me what you think once you read it.
Also if you would like to read an interview I did with Colleen Houck, click here.


Author Interview with Colleen Houck

 in Author Interview / Books / Fantasy / Fun / Interesting / Young Adult by

I got the unimaginable honor to interview Colleen Houck, the author of my two favorite books, Tiger’s Curse and Tiger’s Quest. I asked her a lot of questions and I have to thank her for taking the time to ask my questions. Her answers were very interesting.

I would like to thank Collen Houck for doing an interview with me. It was such an honor and I cannot wait to read her next book Tiger’s Voyage. Thank you for taking the time.

Now let us get to the fun part. Reading my annoying questions and reading her amazing answers.

Enjoy!!!!!

What inspired you to write The Tiger Series?

I loved the story of Beauty and the Beast and knew I wanted to do a play on that. After I chose a white tiger for my beast, research led me to India and the tiger myths of that culture.  I plotted out the entire series shortly after that.

Where did you get the character ideas from – did something fuel the idea for the characters, or was it pure imagination?

I put a lot of myself in my main character Kelsey though she has much more courage than I do.  Mr. Kadam is half Mr. Spock and half Mr. Roark from Fantasy Island.  I name secondary characters after my nieces and nephews and loaned Kelsey my grandmother.  So I’d say that parts of my characters are based on real people and the other parts are imagination.

What made you want to start writing?

I was inspired to write after reading the Twilight Series.  I loved the romance and the epic quality of the books and when I found out that Stephenie Meyer was a stay-at-home mom who just got up one day and started to write a book, I thought, “Why not me?”  It was knowing her story and J.K. Rowling’s that gave me the courage to give writing a try.

Have you written any other book or are you thinking of writing any more books?

I’ve written a few children’s books featuring my poodle but I never tried to get them published.  I’ve also written a few short stories that I think are fun but the Tiger Series is my first major attempt at writing.  I have a long list of story ideas that I hope to turn into books someday.

Do you have a favorite type of genre of book which you like to read?

I’m a sucker for romance but I prefer it to be more on the mild side so YA is a perfect fit for me.  I love Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance, and just added Steampunk to my list as well.

Are you currently reading anything, and if so what is it?

One of my favorite series is the FIRELIGHT series by Sophie Jordan and the book I am reading next is Amy Plum’s zombie romance (interesting isn’t it) called DIE FOR ME.  I also like recommending Beth Revis.  Her series is ACROSS THE UNIVERSE.

When you saw how popular your books were and the reviews that they were getting, what was your initial reaction?

Excitement!  My favorite thing is talking to people about my books and seeing other people get just as excited as I am is incredible.

What is the hardest part about writing?

I really struggle with the battle scenes.  Romance comes easily for me and I love writing it but I sometimes slog through battle and pick my brother’s brain to get everything set up just right.

What do you think helped get your book so popular (besides it being such a great story?)

I’m a good self promoter. I work really hard at marketing myself and try to stay open to the fans as much as possible.  I want to give them a great experience with my books so I hold a lot of contests and respond to fans as much as possible.  Also I think there are a lot of multi-cultural elements in my series that appeal to a worldwide audience.

Do you have any regrets or any things that you wish you could change about the books which you have published?

I feel very satisfied with how the books are coming out.  If I would change anything it would be to add more.  There are so many little side stories I’d like to tell and pieces of the world there that I’d like to explore but that will have to be saved for later books.

Out of the entire set of characters which you have created, who is your favorite (if you have one?)

My favorite character is Mr. Kadam.  He is someone I really admire and wish was real.  I’d love to be able to meet him and talk with him.

Do you own any pets and if so what are they?

I did own a little toy poodle.  She passed away a year ago after living with us for fourteen long years. I haven’t felt ready yet to get a new pet.

If you could choose any animal to be your pet, what would it be?

Probably another poodle.

Do you ever wish you could be transported into your book, so you could live, experience, and see the world which Ren, Kishan, and Kelsey experienced?

Everyday.

When you are not writing, what could you be found doing?

Watching movies, reading, catching up with my family, and going shopping with friends.

What are your top 5 favorite books (not including your own?)

GONE WITH THE WIND, ECLIPSE, A WRINKLE IN TIME, OF MICE AND MEN, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA.  (These are just a few but I have many more)

If you were sent to a desert island, which five things would you take with you(you don’t have to be realistic)?

A net, a knife, seeds, rope, my husband

What is your writing ritual?

I write in the afternoons.  I always light a scented candle and have a fridge full of drinks and snacks. I keep my plush tigers nearby for inspiration.


Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson

 in Blog Events / Fantasy / Fiction / Young Adult by

 

I took park in a book blog event called Nerds Heart YA . What it is is that books that were written in 2011 and were overlooked are chosen for this competition. The books have to fall under the following categories.

  • Person(s) of Color (POC)
  • GLBT
  • Disability
  • Mental Illness
  • Religious Lifestyle
  • Lower Socioeconomic Status
  • Plus-size

The two books that were passed on to my division of the contest was Tall Story but Candy Gourlay and Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson. The Blogger, which I was paired with, was Sam from Parenthetical. After some debating we chose the book to go on to the next round. Our decision was Toads and Diamonds.

Summary

“Set in the fictional Indian land of Hundred Kingdom, Tomlinson’s memorable novel employs magic realism to explore a universal truth: an individual’s gifts and talents are not always as they might seem. Stepsisters Diribani and Tana are blessed by the goddess Naghali-ji in very different ways. When Diribani speaks, flowers and gemstones fall from her mouth. Tana’s talent seems to be more of a curse: she produces frogs and snakes when she talks. While Diribani is held at the opulent court of the Believers, where her every jewel is collected and tallied for the kingdom’s profit, Tana is chased from her village by its snake-fearing residents. Taking on the disguise of a mute stable hand, she returns, and with her unusual abilities, she saves the land…”

*Amazon.com

Review

I have to say that this was quite a good book. The story line was interesting as it was taken from a French fairy tale, which Sam told me. I voted to choose this book as a winner because of the story line. I have never really read a book that is taken off a fairy tale. I have read fairy-tale-like stories but not one taken from an actual fairy tale. It was about these two girls who met a goddess in human form (she was testing them.) One of the girls was gifted with speaking jewels and flowers. The other girl was gifted with speaking toads and snakes. Each thing that the girl got was a gift and a curse. People tied to kill the girl who spoke jewels but jewels can buy riches. The girl who spoke toads and snakes was feared and kicked out of cities but snakes were needed to get rid of insects. Each girl had to learn how what she was given was a gift and a curse. It was a very touching story.

One thing that I did not like though, was that I did not really think that the author described the characters very well. I personally could not picture them in my mind at all. What they were wearing may have been described but what they looked like was not. I could not imagine them. That puts me off a book very much if I cannot imagine what I am reading.

I chose this book over the other one also because Tall Story, I felt, did not go anywhere. It just was kind of boring and did not appeal to me that much.

So, Parenthetical and I have chosen this book to be passed on to the next round in the Nerds Heart YA book blog event. Hopefully the next set of bloggers will like it.

Please check out Parenthetical’s review of Toads and Diamonds.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

 in Adventure / Creative / Fantasy / Fun / Interesting / Reluctant Readers / Young Adult by

Cover of "American Born Chinese"

Cover of American Born Chinese

Summary

Amazon.com

“Indie graphic novelist Gene Yang’s intelligent and emotionally challenging American Born Chinese is made up of three individual plotlines: the determined efforts of the Chinese folk hero Monkey King to shed his humble roots and be revered as a god; the struggles faced by Jin Wang, a lonely Asian American middle school student who would do anything to fit in with his white classmates; and the sitcom plight of Danny, an All-American teen so shamed by his Chinese cousin Chin-Kee (a purposefully painful ethnic stereotype) that he is forced to change schools. Each story works well on its own, but Yang engineers a clever convergence of these parallel tales into a powerful climax that destroys the hateful stereotype of Chin-Kee, while leaving both Jin Wang and the Monkey King satisfied and happy to be who they are….”

Review

I have not read a graphic novel for quite a long time. Well, I do not believe I have ever read an authentic graphic novel, I have read a Warrior Series graphic novel but I am not sure if that qualifies.

This book was quite interesting. I am usually not a person who reads graphic novels because I feel that it does not give me the satisfaction of a regular book. I like to have to use my imagination  to see the characters and I like to see them in my own eyes. When you read a graphic novel, the characters are drawn for you. There is no imagination involved as you read the captions to go along with the story. Graphic novel’s, I believe, are for reluctant readers. They get you to read as they are good stories but they do not require a lot of concentration. I read this book in under a day as it was so simple. Do not get me wrong, it was a good book and the pictures were well done, but I personally do not like .

The pictures in this book were well done. I do like graphic novel drawings. They are a unique style of drawing and I respect people who can do it as it is quite an amazing art form. It was also a humorous book. Not like splitting your sides funny but it had its moments.

I personally believe that this is really a boy book though. There was no violence as such (even though at one point someone got speared and put over a spit but is saved) but the story line just came across to me as being a boy type of story line. I cannot explain how but that is the vibe that I got.

This book was a National Book Award Finalist. It also won a Michael L. Printz Award for young adult literature.

I would recommend you to read the book as it is a graphic novel and it is a good change from reading a regular book. I hope that you enjoy.

If you have read it tell me what you think about it.

Why You Should Go Barefoot Today

 in Book Events / Books / Fantasy / Fun / Interesting by

Do you know what today is?

No, we didn’t either.

September is a month that is not really remarkable with events (if you exclude back to school, Labor day and several religious events). But hidden inside this month is quite a special day ~ September 22.

It’s Hobbit Day!
September 22 is the birthday of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” the much loved, read and cherished tales…..well epics really. While this event is not so widely known to Tolkien fans it is important. In fact the American Tolkien Society has honored it with a full week. And with the huge success of the film adaptation of the books there are no doubt many more unsuspecting fans who want to observe this special day.

Which leaves us asking ~ How to celebrate? Well, in true Hobbit tradition there should be a party with friends, lots and lots of friends. And food, lots of food, in fact it would quite correct to have up to 6 meals today. And all sorts of merrymaking. But the simplest way is to be like a Hobbit and go barefoot. So, today you can go without shoes. If your teacher, boss, friends or family look at you as if you have lost your mind you can quite simply tell them you are celebrating Hobbit Day. Say no more.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

 in Book Reviews / Books / Fantasy / Hot Off The Press / Older Readers / Otherworldly / Young Adult by

THIS BOOK HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED AND OFFICIALLY COMES OUT OCTOBER 19TH 2010

Summary

Calla Tor has always known what her destiny will be. She will become the Alpha Female of a werewolf pack. Her mate, Ren Laroche, was already decided. But she does agree that he is sexy. She, in her position, does not get to choose who she can love. There are rules from the Keepers. The Guardians do as they are told, but if they do well they get rewarded with education, money, cars, and food. But she and her mate, since they are alpha’s, run the pack, they fight side by side, and guard a sacred site for the Keepers. But when she saves a boy hiker from a bear, she realizes her mistake. But he then is gone. But when she goes to school, he is the new student. The Keepers want him protected. The overseer of the new pack, Logan, want the alpha female and male to watch over him. They were going to be his “Guardian.” But this strange boy invites her in. She actually loves him. But loving him could cost them their lives. But is love the ultimate sacrifice?

Review

This was an interesting book. Unexpected things happened. It was about werewolves but it was pretty realistic. This might be a read again for me. The characters were interesting because of the way they were described. I thought that the story’s base line was interesting with the she and he wolf and then a human in between. There was quite a lot of blood mentioned in the book. This is because when a Guardian is severely injured with a magic weapon, they have to drink another guardians blood. There is a ginormous arachnid in the book and there are some other squeamish parts. The violence is my only complaint about the book. There was a lot of it. There are also creatures which are shadows and they are kind of creepy.

Hope that my readers enjoy it when it comes out.

Twilight – Movie Review

 in Books-to-Movie / Fantasy / Movies by

Starring

Kristen Stewart – Bella Swan
Robert Patterson – Edward Cullen
Billy Burke – Charlie Swan

Summary

Bella Swan has just moved to the town of overcast, rainy Forks from sunny and warm Phoenix. She did not think she was going to like her life there until she went to school and saw the Cullen’s. Edward was the one she liked the best. But the Cullen’s kept to themselves. Edward was in some of her classes but he seemed to think there was something wrong with her and so he disappeared from school for a few days. When he comes back he is back to normal. Bella realizes that there is something odd with him and his family. They don’t go out in the sun. They hardly eat. Edwards eyes change. He is extremely fast. He stopped a moving van with his hand. And his skin is cold. Vampire. What else. But when another group of vampires come to the area, Bella’s life is put in danger since she is friends with Edward. Thus the story of boy protecting girl, vampire protecting human begins. But will they be able to keep Bella safe? And if not, what will happen to her?

Review

I actually have to say that I liked this movie. I had watched the trailer and it looked kind of violent but it was not as violent as I would have thought. There was a big fight scene in the end which is pretty graphic. A man gets his head torn off. Bella gets bitten by a vampire and is writhing on the floor in pain. There are some funny lines also. I really like how the characters were portrayed. Edward had all the facial expressions. Bella is not sure of herself around him. Then Dr. and Mrs. Cullen were sweet. Jasper was trying not to eat anyone. Alice was as kind as she was in the book. And the rest of the family was just as they were described. I read the book once but watched the movie twice. There is not too much violence except that fight in the end and that is really it.

This next bit is from CommonSenseMedia.org

VIOLENCE: A lot of the violence is implied: There are fast shots of vampires right before they kill their prey (both human and animal). A group of guys follows Bella down a dark alley and starts harassing her; Edward threatens them. A predatory vampire tries to kill Bella. There’s a bloody, vicious fight between an evil vampire and the Cullens. Bella is seriously hurt and ends up in the hospital. Charlie, a sheriff, has weapons, including a shotgun.

SEX: As in the book, Bella and Edward have an intensely romantic (though overall fairly chaste) relationship. They stare and gaze at each other lovingly and share some passionate embraces and a couple of kisses, including one make-out session that takes place on a bed while Bella’s in her underwear. Other couples flirt, hold hands, and swoon at each other.

Those are the only things. But to see everything that CommonSenseMedia.org says click here.

The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman

 in Adventure / Book Reviews / Books / Books-to-Movie / Fantasy / Fiction by

There is just one thing that I want you to keep in mind when looking for this book, there are a lot of versions. There is the 30th and 25th anniversary edition and multiple other original edition, abridged versions. The one that I am about to review is the 30th anniversary addition so if the one you get is different it is because it is a different version.

Summary

There is an ordinary farm girl named Buttercup and she always orders Westly, the farm boy/servant around. He never talks. All he ever says is “As you wish.” She thinks he’s just dumb until she realizes there is a different feeling inside her when she looks at him. Love maybe? Then Westly has to go away because of her love, he wants to make a living in America and the he will send for her. But only a couple of days after he left, the Prince is looking for a Princess to marry and he looks through out the land until the Count and Countess tell about this girl who works on a farm with exquisite beauty. He sets off the find this girl. When found he takes her away against her will. She is extremely unhappy because she vowed never to love again until Westly returns. She is not cooperative. Then one day she goes for a ride and is kidnapped by a giant, a Spaniard and a Sicilian man of genius. He is the brains behind the whole plot. And then the man in black, who turns out to be the Dread Pirate Roberts appears. And the adventure begins. Filled with chases, fire swamps, snow sand, R.O.U.S (Rats of Unusual Size), murder, betrayal, torture, love, romance, and comedy, this is a must read book.

Review

I have to say this was an amazing book. There is also a movie of this book (to see review click here) and that was the reason I read the book. I loved the movie so much I just had to read the book. This is my first book to movie this summer so I am going to try to do a good review of it.

This book is unlike any other book because of what happens. It is set in the past and you can tell because they use swords (big giveaway.) So this book as I said is filled with chases, murder, betrayal, torture, love, romance, and comedy. The characters are one of the best things about the book. They each have a very distinct personality. Westly is smart and courageous. Andre the Giant is strong and is not afraid of lions and tigers and bears (oh my) but is afraid of bats (some giant.) Vizzini is smart but in the end his brains turn against him. And the Spaniard is just plain funny . But is also an extremely good swordsman who is out to get revenge on the man who killed his father. The man who has 6 fingers. Buttercup is kind of reserved but is out to kill herself if Westly does not return. Then, last but not least, is Prince Humperdinck. He is the slimy man in the book (aside from the Count). He is also a really good hunter. The Count is a man who loves watching people in pain. He loves to study people and animals reaction when they are put into pain and torture. That is why he created The Machine.

The plot is also interesting. He uses real things and then turns them into something they are not. For example, the snow sand might have been quick sand or the R.O.U.S might be just really big rats blown up a couple of sizes (made bigger for effect) and the fire swamp might come from volcanoes. Those are just my interpretations of it thought. Anyway, this story is set all over, there is a lot of excitement and I think that this is a definite read again. Hope that you will read it too.

Dark River (Warriors: Power of Three Series #2) by Erin Hunter

 in Book Reviews / Books / Fantasy / Series by

Summary

* From HarperCollins.com

The three children of Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw, grandchildren of the great leader Firestar, have thrived in their apprenticeships: Lionpaw’s strength and energy serve him well as a warrior in training, Hollypaw hones her understanding of the warrior code, and Jaypaw explores his mysterious powers and connection to StarClan as the medicine cat apprentice.

With more experience comes both power and danger: Lionpaw makes a friendship—and a discovery—that must be kept hidden; Jaypaw learns a secret that could benefit ThunderClan by damaging others; and Hollypaw knows something that could avert a battle, if she could convince the rest of her Clan.

The three are torn apart as each discovers darkness: in themselves, in the Clans, and in the past. And, as conflict begins over what it means to be a warrior, rising tensions threaten to overflow, washing away the peace that has existed for many moons.

Review

This was an interesting book. It had a lot of suspense and it seemed like this book was based around Jaypaw and Lionpaw. There is just one more thing I will tell you about the book.

There is a possible deadly friendship that could ruin 1 or 2 clans.

But I cannot tell you anymore because otherwise I would give the whole book away.

The Sight (Warriors: Power of Three Series #1) by Erin Hunter

 in Book Reviews / Books / Fantasy / Series by

Summary

*Review from HarperCollins.com

“There will be three, kin of your kin . . .

The wild cats have flourished in their new home on the banks of the lake for several seasons, and the Clans are growing strong and healthy with new kits. The time has come for three kits of ThunderClan to become apprentices.

Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Lionpaw spring from a strong legacy: children of Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw, two of the noblest ThunderClan warriors, and grandchildren of the great leader Firestar himself. All three young cats possess unusual power and talent and seem certain to provide strength to the Clan for the next generation.

But there are dark secrets around the three, and a mysterious prophecy hints at trouble to come. An undercurrent of rage is rising against those who are not Clanborn, and the warrior code is in danger of being washed away by a river of blood. All the young cats’ strength will be needed if the Clans are to survive.

. . . who hold the power of the stars in their paws. ”

Review

This book starts a whole new chapter in the Warrior Saga. This starts something new with new main characters, different perspectives and all that. In the first series where it was the very first book it was from the perspective of FireStar, although in the first few books is was FireHeart or Rusty. In the first book of the second series, The New Prophecy, it was from the point of view of BrambleClaw. But now in the third series, The Power of Three, it is from the point of view of HollyPaw, JayPaw, LionPaw. And with the new prophecy to FireStar, “There will be three, kin of your kin who hold the power of the stars in their paws.” who knows what is going to happen next.

This has to be one of the best books for one particular reason. The mingling of the clans. In this books there is a time when the clans hate each other, then they make up and it almost seems as if the 4 clans might merge into 1 clan. This is probably one of the most suspenseful books because of this. I really hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.