Little Library Muse

Sunday, May 26, 2013

My Sunday Post #18

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~

Last Week on the Blog

Sunday Post #17
You Are Mine by Janeal Falor ~Excerpt & Giveaway
No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop
Waiting on Wednesday #17: Champion by Marie Lu
Kindle Fire Giveaway
Impostor by Susanne Winnaker ~Guest Post & Giveaway
Sugar by Jewel Rhodes Parker ~Review
A Match Made in Heaven by Trina Robbins ~Review

Tenative Schedule for this week

Sunday Post #18
Kissing Fire by A.M. Hargorve ~Review
Red Moon by Benjamin Percy ~Giveaway
Chemistry of Fate by Meradeth Houston ~ Interview & Giveaway
Waiting on Wednesday #18
Siren's Secret by Heather Ostler ~Review & Giveaway
Terminus by Joshua Graham ~ Review
Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo ~Review

Giveaways

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Abberant by Ruth Silver
Escaping Darkness by Theresa McClinton ~ Giveaway Blast

New This Week

Review

Received from Author via Blog Tour
Thanks to Adriana Ryan

Received from publisher via Netgalley

Thanks to Cedar Fort Publishing

Tours

May 28, 2013 ~Interview

May 30, 2013 ~Review

May 31, 2013 ~Review

Notes

I have got to start writing my reviews as soon I finish the books like I used to. Lately, the past couple of months I'll read about 5 or 6 books before writing the review. :/

Any who, Happy Holiday Weekend!

Saturday, May 25, 2013

A Match Made in Heaven (My Boyfriend is A Monster #8) by Trina Robbins (Author), Xian Nu Studio (Illustrator), Yuko Ota (Illustrator)

Author: Trina Robbins
Illustrators: Xian Nu Studio & Yuko Ota
Series: My Boyfriend is A Monster #8
Publication: April 1st 2013
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 128 pg.
Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Life isn't exactly paradise for aspiring artist Morning Glory Conroy. Anxious about an upcoming comics festival and worried about her best friend Julia's deteriorating home life, Glory has enough to juggle without also being swept off her feet by the guy Julia likes. Gabriel is the answer to every girl's prayers: sweet, full of wonder at the world, and divinely handsome. But does he count as a real boyfriend if his overbearing guardian forbids even kissing? Not to mention the added complication of his mischievous cousin Luci trailing Glory's every move just to cause trouble. Glory is in for a startling revelation when she discovers Gabriel's true identity—and learns that their romance has distracted him from an important mission. Will it take a miracle to sort out this mess, or can Glory move heaven and earth to help the people she loves?

I really liked the graphics for the comic and the story was good. It's about a girl named Morning Glory, who dreams of being a comic book artist. She's on the outskirts of the in crowds, meaning she's not in any of them and constantly gets picked on by the various cliques. Then she meets this new guy, Gabriel and he makes her see how amazing she is and eventually her attitude changes.

Although, Glory's love life has changed, things at school begin to get worse. She continues pursue her dream even as things constantly go wrong and she seems to have developed a case of bad luck. Gabriel encourages her to keep moving forward with her comic and tells her that it's really good. On the day of the festival Glory has a chance meeting with someone she admires in the industry but she isn't aware that danger lurks around the corner. Someone wants her dead. Can Gabriel save her before it's too late?

I like how Glory's confidence gradually builds as the story progresses, which makes her an easy character for teens who are picked on constantly be their peers to identify with some of her situations. Eventually, Glory begins to see what truly matters and experiences love in a way she never imagined. Gabriel is a laid back, sweet male lead and I enjoyed his interactions with Glory. Robbins ended this one in a way that was unexpected but I felt it fit perfectly with the story. The graphics are not in color yet the detail is amazing from page to page and I couldn't stop reading it. This would be a quick read for reluctant readers or teens that like graphic novels with a paranormal aspect but light romance. Overall, this is a great story about friendship and self-worth.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Review: Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Author: Jewell Parker Rhodes
Title: Sugar
Publication: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Little Brown & Co.
Source:Publisher

Ten-year-old Sugar lives on the River Road sugar plantation along the banks of the Mississippi. Slavery is over, but laboring in the fields all day doesn't make her feel very free. Thankfully, Sugar has a knack for finding her own fun, especially when she joins forces with forbidden friend Billy, the white plantation owner's son.

Sugar has always yearned to learn more about the world, and she sees her chance when Chinese workers are brought in to help harvest the cane. The older River Road folks feel threatened, but Sugar is fascinated. As she befriends young Beau and elder Master Liu, they introduce her to the traditions of their culture, and she, in turn, shares the ways of plantation life. Sugar soon realizes that she must be the one to bridge the cultural gap and bring the community together. Here is a story of unlikely friendships and how they can change our lives forever.

From Jewell Parker Rhodes, the author of Ninth Ward (a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and a Today show Al's Book Club for Kids pick), here's another tale of a strong, spirited young girl who rises beyond her circumstances and inspires others to work toward a brighter future.

Sugar is a vibrant, young girl with a tenacious personality living in a community that has been freed from slavery yet still bound by the constraints of slavery and the politics of not mixing with other races. Her mother passed away and her father left but never returned as he promised, so an elderly couple takes responsibility for Sugar. It's so hard to be a child picking sugar and she longs to be truly free. Her dream is to someday travel North like some of the other workers did but her guardians are afraid of the unknown...all they know is sugar. However, as the owner of the plantation decides to bring in workers from China, they all begin to fear for their livelihood. The Chinese men move much faster than they do and could cause them to lose everything but Sugar loves to build new friendships and tries her best to bring these different cultures together. Fear of the unknown can make people prejudice but the innocence of a child will shed light on the truth and the beauty of stepping out of your comfort zone.

I really liked this story; Sugar is a great character, so full of life and curiosity. What's great about this book is how she is able to interact with each race and they learn through her how to take that step towards a different way of living. The writing is good and the story moves along smoothly. Sugar's voice provides a nice tone to the story and gives a unique perspective into the mindset of former slaves. Overall, a great book about change and friendship that I would recommend to middle graders.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Guest Post & Giveaway: Impostor by Susanne Winnacker

About the Author
Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, a dog that looks like a sheep and three bunnies that have destroyed every piece of furniture she's ever owned in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals. When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.
She blogs for The League of Extraordinary Writers.
Website | Twitter | Facebook

If you were shipwrecked with your favorite character from a book or movie, tell us the story of how this chance meeting would have transpired and what happened?

Okay, I have to take into consideration that some of my favorite characters are hot men and I’m happily married, so that limits my choices. ;) It would be nice to have someone who knows something about survival (Katniss?), but on the other hand someone who’s entertaining might be just as important. Boredom can probably drive people into madness, so…This might sound strange but I have to say Forrest Gump. He’s one of my favorite movie characters (without the hot factor! Thank God!). I mean, no matter what’s thrown his way, he emerges as the winner. He just beats the odds. Someone like him could be useful on a remote island. And he’s no doubt entertaining with all of his stories.

So how would the chance meeting go?

Let’s say I was snorkeling and somehow I ended up lost in the middle of the ocean. I can’t swim much longer, but then Forrest comes along in his ship “Jenny”. He sees me, and of course he being Forrest Gump does the first thing that comes to his mind, he jumps off his ship and into the ocean to save me. Well, he reaches me and stops me from drowning, and as we’re floating around we have to watch how The Jenny, without someone to steer it, barrels straight into a small desert island. There goes our chance to leave…

We swim toward the beach, and because Forrest is lucky he finds dozens of mango and banana trees, and countless coconuts with delicious coconut water to keep us hydrated. And of course by accident he manages to open the coconuts without spilling a single drop. So we spent our days lounging in the shade of a few palm tree leaves – which Forrest discovered by accident, of course – eating bananas and mangos, and drinking coconut water straight from the coconut. I’m finally getting a tan while I’m listening to Forrest’s stories. By accident (do you see a pattern?) Forrest discovers a hidden treasure of gold and because he’s nice and all, he shares it with me. Before we’re out of bananas or mangos, another ship comes along – because Forrest is always lucky – and picks us up!
End of story.

CAN TESSA POSE AS MADISON . . . AND STOP A KILLER BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE?

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI.

When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep.

Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Kindle Fire Giveaway for May

This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER SPONSORED GIVEAWAY!

Kindle Fire HD 7" Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

Sponsoring Bloggers & Authors

Giveaway Details 1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International). Ends 5/31/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting On Wednesday #17: Champion by Marie Lu

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Champion by Marie Lu
Expected Release: November 2013

Goodreads Synopsis

The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.