Tag Archives: what to read

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow is the Next Harry Potter

I was growing tired of reading about everyone’s problems.  It got to the point where book after book I reviewed were about people with very deep issues.  I needed a break from these real life stories, so I went through my stack of October releases and pulled out a very special book from the pile, “Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow” by Jessica Townsend.

I flipped to the first page where the publisher wrote a special note about this publication.  In the letter to the reader, she pens that when she received this title, it was right after the election.  Everywhere she went, she could not escape the political conversations that took over our popular culture.  Frankly, she was exhausted of it.

This book hit her desk and something magical happened.  It provided her with a world to which she could escape to.  “And what a delicious escape it was,” she said.

After reading her words, I hoped it would provide me with that same escape as I turned the pages of Townsend’s book.  She wasn’t lying.

Thoughts

First of all, I cannot wait until the next book.  I hate that I ever had to put this story down or that this story came to an end.

I keep this book out on my console table.  Every single time I look at the cover, I think of how this was such a wonderful story.  I remember how it made me feel…wonderful.

Out of all of the amazing books I read this year, this book quickly went to the top as my favorite read of the year.  It is #1 on my list this year, and I read a lot this year.  This tale marks #49 for me in 2017.  [You can see all of the books I read this year in the PW book club.]

Throughout the book, I tried to guess the ending.  I thought maybe I had everything figured out until the last 30 pages.  In the end, I discovered I really had no idea what was so special about Morrigan Crow.

Most noteworthy, Townsend kept that secret until the end.  As a result of the way she ended the book, I went a little crazy when I realized there is currently no second book.

I felt like I needed that next book, just like I needed all seven books of Harry Potter just to see how it would all end.  All throughout the book I wondered if Morrigan was really a cursed child.  Is she the girl that everyone told her she was?  Or is there something special about her?  What is her knack?

Separation Anxiety

This story will make you despise each time you have to put the book down because the world is still revolving.  You will cringe each time you have to step out of Nevermoor and back into our universe.  As a result of turning that last page, you will feel a slight madness, because the most marvelous story in our world has momentarily come to an end.

You will feel sad and feel a slight withdrawal.  Hence, you will need to go cold turkey from one of the best highs you’ve ever had.  This is probably something only bibliophiles go through each time they must walk away from an incredible story.

Do you understand now why this book became my favorite read of the year?  I felt all of those emotions.

I was in a space where I felt safe from other people’s problems.  Nor did I have to hear about the apocalypse day in and day out.  I could live in Nevermoor with Morrigan and Jupiter North like an illegal alien hiding away in a magical hotel with a ginormous cat that can talk, a vampire dwarf (or was it dwarf vampire?), an opera singer, and an adventurer.  I could run around with Morrigan and her dragon riding friend as they prepared for their trials.

To have it all come to a crashing end…I need more.

Seems like the main problem for me right now is that the book is not released yet.  It comes out on Halloween (or Hallowmas) 2017.  That means I have to wait for any follow up book for God knows how long.  So now I must continue my search for the next great read until Townsend’s next book.  I think for 2017, it will be very hard to match Nevermoor.

Similarities

Nevermoor is similar to Harry Potter in many ways.  First of all, this is not a story about witchcraft.  Magic?  Yes, but rather in a special magical place we, as children, wish to escape to when the world becomes difficult.

When you feel alone and like no one cares about you or loves you, this book allows you to see the world through a different microscope.  Rather than believing you have no one who believes in you, you find the exact opposite.  There are people across this universe who are reaching out to you to let you know that you are not alone.  They are there trying to help us.

When we are trying to discover who we are in the grand scheme of things, sometimes it is not our talents (or knacks) we should be so focused upon.  Maybe we should be focused on our gifts and becoming the person we know we are inside.

That is the whole purpose of books like Harry Potter and Nevermoor.  They teach us that we are never alone, no matter how scary things get.

This book is set to be released on October 31, 2017.  Pre-order it immediately.  You will not regret diving into this book.

[Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.  This post contains affiliate links.  If you click on one of the links, I may receive a commission.]


 

 

 

5 Books To Read This Summer

Looking for something new to read this summer?  There are  a few that are out that you can purchase now, and a few coming out this August.

1. Unraveling Oliver.  Considered to be one of the IT books of 2017, “Unraveling Oliver” tries to explain why Oliver Ryan, a prominent Irish children’s book author, beat his wife into a coma.  Never having displayed violence before, Oliver’s friends try to explain what happened to him.  From his childhood all the way into his adult years, Oliver’s story is unraveled piece by piece.

At first, you will feel sorry for Oliver.  As the story completely unravels, you realize just how horrible of a human being he was.  He commanded the respect of others for decades.  One act brought him down.

[Due to be released August 22, 2017.]

2. The Leaf Reader.  This mystery will keep you guessing all the way until the end.  Marnie Wells is an outcast, because she’s one of the weird kids.  She starts reading tea leaves for the popular kids and winds up deep into the tale of what happened to Andrea Quinley, one of the girls that went missing.

Her best friend, Matt Cotrell, seeks Marnie out to see if she has the answers he’s looking for, sending them on a chase to find Andrea, who is presumed dead.  Instead, they uncover a much deeper secret that threatens both of their lives.  Andrea’s disappearance is linked to Marnie, just not in a way anyone could ever imagine.

This book will have you guessing all the way until the end.  The details are always unraveling.  Nothing is ever set in stone where you can guess who did what.  A must read for those who love thrillers.

[Book is out now.]

3. The Hearts We Sold. Imagine we live in a world where demons walk beside us and they are out in the open.  Everyone knows demons exist.  People trade parts of their bodies for wishes without ever asking what they do with the body parts.

Dee Moreno is in a tough spot when she discovers that her scholarship to a boarding school is drying up.  She has to come up with the money for the rest of school or find somewhere else to go.  She doesn’t want to return to her dysfunctional home.

When she sees a demon knitting outside of the hospital where she volunteers, she decides to take a chance.  She gives the demon her heart in exchange for money that will get her through a doctorate program (if that’s what she wants).  In return, she has to do the demon’s bidding over the course of 2 years.

What she doesn’t know is why the demon is sending her and a group of teens to do his bidding.  She has no idea what these demons are trying to do with their body parts.  What they discover is much scarier than the thought of demons walking the Earth.

[Due out August 8, 2017]

4. DragonWatch.  If you are looking for your next YA series, FableHaven is a great place to start.  FableHaven is a 5 book series that takes place at a sanctuary for mythical creatures.  DragonWatch picks up where FableHaven leaves off.

With the Demon King vanquished, the Dragon King rises.  He wants out of the sanctuary and into the world.  Our heroes Seth and Kendra head off to the dragon sanctuary to be the new caretakers.

The kids need to prove to everyone that they can do the job and keep the dragons at bay.  Their adventure takes them on an adventure to find a way to keep the castle safe.  If the dragons overtake the castle, they can escape into the world.  What the two discover is that they need each other to be strong, but they also must learn how to be fearless on their own.

Brandon Mull is one of my favorite young adult authors.  The FableHaven series (and now DragonWatch) is an incredible universe to escape to.  You will see the beauty in fairies and unicorns, but also the very ugly and scary in demons, trolls, and creatures that you don’t want to bump into.

For those looking for a series, this is one worth diving into.  You’ll fall in love with this world.

[All books in the series and DragonWatch are out now.]

5. A Dog’s Purpose.   For those who love animals (especially dogs), this is the book for you.  We follow one dog’s soul as he (or she) goes from one dog’s life to another.  Each life bears an important part in the dog’s future lives.

The story though is about Bailey and his boy, Ethan.  The two grow up together and have many grand adventures together, including getting lost in the woods.  But Bailey can’t live forever and eventually dies at an old age.  He is reborn again and again.

As a police dog, she learns how to search and find.  She sees her purpose is to help save lives.  In her next life, he uses that search and find technique to find his boy again.

This time his boy is an old man who is alone and has no purpose.  It is up to Bailey to help Ethan find his purpose.  All the while, he hopes that Ethan will realize that he is really Bailey.

A wonderful story as told by a dog.  This book will make you hug your fur babies (and monsters) a little closer.  It will make you love and appreciate them a little bit more.

[This book is currently out.]

[Disclosure: I received a free copy of books 1-4 above from publishers in exchange for a review.  This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive compensation.]

PW Recommends: Books to Read Now

For those who love Young Adult Fiction, here are a few books to peruse.

  1. Edgewater by Courtney Sheinmel is filled with mystery and intrigue as we follow Lorrie Hollander, a young rich girl who all of a sudden has her trust fund cut off while at riding camp.  Thinking that her absent-minded aunt forgot to pay the bills, she returns home to discover that her trust fund is missing.  With only a few dollars in her pocket, she tries to buy gas and a drink only to discover she doesn’t have enough money for both when she meets Charlie, the son of a senator, who pays for her purchase in exchange for joining him at a party in his family’s home.  What Lorrie later discovers is that her predicament and money problems are directly related to Charlie’s family.  What begins as a rich girl gone broke turns into something much more…explaining why her mother left her and her sister behind with her senile aunt and where all of this money is really coming from.  It’s an ending no one is expecting.




2.  Mysteries of Cove by J. Scott Savage.  If you liked “City of Ember” by Jeanne DuPrau, you’ll like this new series.  Imagine a world where doing anything ‘creative’ is a crime and the word ‘invention’ is a curse word.  Welcome to the Cove, a steam-powered city inside of a mountain.  Why the city is this way is a mystery, especially to Trenton Coleman, who loves inventing and all things mechanical.  Along with Kallista Babbage, they discover a mechanical dragon.  Together they try to put it together and leave the Cove.  What they were not prepared to learn was why the city was hidden inside of a mountain and why any mechanical noise was forbidden.  When they learn why, it’s too late and it jeopardizes the lives of everyone inside the Cove.  They’ve attracted something to them that was better off left alone.  [Mysteries of Cove is a series.  The second book was released last year.]




3. Court of Fives by Kate Elliott.  For those who loved “The Hunger Games,” you will love “Court of Fives.”  Jessamy lives in a world where a mixed race child will never rise in society.  Add in every sexist thing you can of how a woman will never be equal to a man, and you have a good idea what kind of society Jessamy lives in.  The Fives is a maze where various contenders compete in five different trials.  Winners of the Fives live handsomely, but there is one catch.  They have to reveal their face.  It is because of this that Jessamy allows someone else to win, so as not to embarrass her father, a famous soldier who would be humiliated if he knew his illegitimate daughter had competed and won in the Fives.  Things take a turn for the worst when her family’s patron (the man who cares for them financially) dies.  The patron’s death splits up the family and sends Jessamy to live her dream of training and running for the Fives without fear of embarrassing her father, but she finds something much more sinister is happening to her family.  It is up to her to save them.  [This book is the start of the Court of Fives series.  The third book will be released this summer.]




Disclosure: I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. Your purchase helps support my work.

I received these books from the publishers in exchange for an honest review and promotion of these products.  


PW Book Club: Anat Talshir’s “About the Night”

About the Night by Anat Talshir
About the Night by Anat Talshir

Hello everyone.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s book club read. I know I did.

This month’s read, “About the Night,” had us diving into a love affair between an Arab and a Jew right before the wall in Jerusalem went up in 1947.  Two newlywed lovers are forced to find ways to secretly see each other, before it is inevitable that they have no choice but to try and move on with their lives behind their respective side of the wall.

Years go by.  One continues to hold a flame for the other, the other decides to move on with life, thinking the other will do the same.  For both, they share a special kind of love.  This is the type of love people search for their entire lives.  It’s the kind of love that carries one through to the end of their life, no matter how long they have to live severed from the other.


Questions.

  1. What did you think of the book?  Did you like it?
  2.  Did you think this story was realistic?  If you found the love of your life and were separated from them, would you wait for them or would you move forward with your life?
  3. Have you met the love of your life?  Could you relate to that special love these two shared?
  4. Did the historical aspect of this story help you to relate to the issues facing Israel today?  Did you get a sense of the racism and cultural differences between Arabs and Jews?  Did it help you to understand the struggles facing an Arab and a Jew falling in love?
  5. Lila is a woman with great strength.  When life handed her lemons, she did the best she could do with them to keep on shining, even when they were tossed at her door.  In her heartbreak, we see Lila rising above to help people, even if it wasn’t the popular opinion of the people in her community.  Did you find her character an inspiration?
  6. Did you think Elias made the right decision after he was beaten by the police?  Could you do the same?
  7. What were some of your favorite quotes in the book?
  8. Would you recommend this book to others?




Feel free to leave your answers below, on GoodReads (see the link to the PW book club on the right), or on the PW Facebook page.

Book Club: Star Sand

Roger Pulvers "Star Sand"
Roger Pulvers “Star Sand”

Sorry for the delay on posting this up. I literally forgot until this morning and had to smack my head for forgetting to check my calendar (and I’d written this down at least 5 times).

Feel free to respond in the comments below or later on this evening on the Facebook page.  I’ve also created a space on Goodreads for all discussion on books at PW.  It will also allow for a chance for everyone to get to know each other, to discover, talk and recommend more books.

Here are some questions for “Star Sand”:

  1. Did you like the book?
  2. Who was your favorite character?
  3. What did you think of the book split up into three parts?
  4. In this day and age, do you think if we were caught up in a war that we could take in and care for an enemy deserter?
  5. Do you think if we were at war, do you think you would be able to live like the people of Hatoma Isle?  Not only did they seem resourceful, but they looked out for each other.  Do you think you could do the same?
  6. Star Sand is named after the type of sand that is found at Hatoma Isle.  Did reading about this little island encourage you to want to visit and gather your own bottles of star sand?
  7. The brother echoed a lot of the war’s propaganda.  This is something you see a lot of in most countries.  What were you thoughts on the brother?  Do you think he was right, keeping strong to what the government said was the right thing to do?  Or do you think holding true to the human side was the right thing to do?
  8. Do you think the sisters knew about the cave and what was going on in there?
  9. What did you think of the ending?

I’ve posted my answers to the above questions at the Goodreads discussion board. You can find the Star Sand discussion here.

Weekend Reading Material

mortomI just finished reading “Mortom” by Erik Therme.  I am like…WOW.

When Therme contacted me about reviewing his book, it was for “Resthaven.”  But after I finished reading “Resthaven,” I was like…I have to read the other book.

Like “Resthaven,”  “Mortom” is a thrill ride all the way until the end.  Right when you are so wrapped up in the story and you’re really at the edge of your seat, you read the last words at the bottom of the page, turn the page and you’re looking at a picture of the author.

I swear to you, at the end of both books I did a “Nooo!  It can’t be over.”  That’s what he does.  He really hooks you in.  You’re at the edge of your seat and BAM!  The story is done.  You’re constantly thinking, ‘but what happened to…’  He does it to his readers every single time.

If you’re looking for something to read this Memorial Day weekend that’s filled with mystery, intrigue, edge of your seat…you have no idea what’s going to happen next…then this is your book.  It’s a quick read.  Try both.  I really enjoyed both books.  They are free if you are a member of Kindle Unlimited.

Mortom
Resthaven


Other things worth reading:

    • I’m obsessed with DIY stuff lately.  My friend introduced me to Scrapbook.com and let’s just say…the best thing about it are the free classes!  I just took the 8 Ways to Embellish with Lisa Andrews.  She gave me so many ideas that I never even thought about…including a new way to journal.
    • I am a huge David Bach fan.  I have been for years.  A few years ago, he sent me a free autographed copy of his book.  I was in heaven.  What I love about David is that he’s passionate about teaching people how to live rich by being smarter with their money.  He is getting ready to release his bestseller “Automatic Millionaire” with new updates.  Until the release, sign up for his email list.  He’s sending free downloads of his work.  I downloaded a free copy of his ebook “Finish Rich QuickStart System.”  He’ll be sending out free downloads of the “Automatic Millionaire” reboot soon.  So get your name on his mailing list!
    • How to Successfully Balance Your Side Hustle With Your Full-Time Job.  This is a great read for those who work full-time and have a side business on the side until the side business becomes a full-time gig.  What I love are the tips on managing your time.

ml2

    • How to Stay Focused When Working From Home.  Something I’ve been learning a lot about lately is taking distractions away when I’m working at home.  It is a little difficult when you have a Maine Coon sitting right in your face when you are working at your desk.  I was working on a communion card last week and right as the glue was drying, Matthew Lucifer jumped up on the desk and sat right on the card, completely smearing the embossed picture.  He won’t move when he’s sitting in front of me while I’m working, so I’ve learned to just stop, give him some love for a few minutes, and then encourage him to take a nap on the sofa behind me or sit in the window.  Once that is done, I’ll have at least an hour to work before the next Maine Coon disaster begins.




    • Honey Chipotle Chicken Pizza With Goat Cheese.  Do I need to say more?  OMG. NOMNOM.
    • Looking Fly on a Dime.  I just recently came across this blog on my Twitter feed and I am in love.  I wish this site was around when I was in my 20s!  I love this shirt she found.  At first, she thought it was a dress!  Ends up it was a super long shirt…and a cool one at that.  I absolutely loved her $10 find.  I love how she pairs everything together.  This site is now an official PW bookmarked site!
    • 10 Tips from a Professional Organizer.  These simple tips are words to live by.   I’ve learned recently that there is no such thing as multi-tasking.  I watch people out on the street walking super slow looking at their phones, totally oblivious to what’s happening around them (like almost getting hit by a car).  Schedule out your day with little to no distractions.  Make sure you plan accordingly, including scheduling those few minutes of social media time.  If you don’t watch yourself, you’ll lose a lot of time and wonder where the day went.  You don’t want to be one of those people.  Being glued to your cell phone is no way to live.




PW’s First Book Club Discussion

the light of the fireflies

For those wanting to participate in this month’s book club discussion for “The Light of the Fireflies,” you can find the discussion HERE.  Feel free to share your thoughts of the book on the Facebook page.

Since this is the first book club, we’re making this open to anyone who’s read the book to comment on the book.  So if you haven’t finished reading it yet, no problem.  It will remain on the PW Facebook page.

Also, you can comment on the book here if you don’t have Facebook.

Here is the original Facebook discussion and my responses to kick the book club off.

“The Light of the Fireflies” by Paul Pen Discussion Thread.

Hello everyone.

My name is Michelle Kenneth and I’ll be moderating our first book club discussion for Paul Pen’s “The Light of the Fireflies.” This is an Amazon Kindle First book, so if you subscribe to Amazon Prime, you get early access to the book before it is released for FREE. On the first day of every month, they release a group of selections that you can choose from.

For March, I selected Paul Pen’s book. I’ll be selecting the next book tomorrow after they release their selections. [In the future, as we get more interest in the Book Club, I’ll let someone else pick out the next month’s selection.]

So on to the discussion…

1) What did you think of the book?

2) Were you shocked by the ending of the book?

3) When they revealed who the father of the child was, were you surprised at this revelation? Did you assume the baby’s father was who the sister claimed the baby’s Father was?

4) What did you think of the real story of how they ended up in the basement and how they attained their burns?

5) As the boy tells the story from his point of view, he knows his brother is just a little off, but never to the extent we see in the back story. Based on what is revealed in the back story, did you imagine that the brother could be dangerous to society?

6) Overall, what were your thoughts on the book? Would you recommend it to your friends/family?

Diary of a Perfectionist Wannabe:  I’ll start the discussion off…

1) Simply put, I did not like the book at all. Generally speaking, the incest involved and the elements of what the brother did to that girl…just not something I would normally read.

2) I was shocked by the ending of the book. I think as a woman, I’m generally concerned for the safety and well being of other women. I assumed the sister was the victim in this, sexually abused by her father. I never imagined she was actually a very bad seed. She was just altogether evil. Did she deserve getting knocked up by her brother? Was that some sort of justice? I don’t think it was. At the end, when she is killed, I thought it was a saving grace for everyone. They were safe from her torment, and she finally escaped her family.

3) I assumed the entire time the father was the father of her child. I never even imagined it was the brother that had knocked her up.

4) I really didn’t like their back story. This family was absolutely crazy. If they had called the police to begin with, they never would have gone into that basement. They never would have received those burns. I’m sure the town would have taken into account that the child had a mental disability. He didn’t report that he had found the girl because he did not know he was supposed to do that. Sure, there may have been villagers talking about how the kid sexually assaulted the girl while she was broken, but they could always move and start over. Why hide the corpse? The boy just didn’t know better. The Sister, she was evil within herself. She would have been better off leaving her family, especially after the way they ‘saved’ the boy the way they did.

The next question is…would you have followed in their footsteps or would you have called the police to save your disabled son?

5) I was very shocked when I read what the Brother did to the girl. It was just difficult to fathom he was a sexual deviant. Then to find out he had sex with his sister…I have to ask how that happened. She seems to fight well for herself. Was she raped? Did he have sex with her while she was asleep? How did he do it? It’s obvious she hates her brother and always has. How was he able to take advantage of her?

If you were in the Sister’s shoes, would you have tried to kill the baby, too? Personally, I don’t even want to think about being in her shoes.

I also could not imagine that the Brother was a danger to society. Part of me thinks that the family just made one too many wrong decisions in an attempt to ‘save’ their favorite son, thus making the situation out worse than it really was. It’s not like the boy killed the girl (or did he)?

6) Overall, I didn’t like the book. I assumed that the reason why they were all in there was because of some nuclear attack or apocalyptic happening…or maybe they wanted to be rid of society that judged them for their appearance after a fire. To find out why they went down into that basement…come on. They were a family of cowards.

Would I recommend this book to anyone? No. Just because it’s not my type of book. A lot of people on GoodReads recommend the book, even though it is very dark.

This book is so haunting it will stick with you for life just because of the disturbing images throughout the book. All throughout the book, I kept wondering how in the world the author came up with this idea.

As we go along and make this a regular book club, we’ll change how the book club is done, so make sure to sign up with your email to join the PW Book Club on the right hand side.  Also, as more people join, I’ll let others pick out the next month’s Amazon Kindle First book on the first of the month.

I’ll be announcing next month’s Kindle First book tomorrow.

For those who don’t know what Kindle First is, you can read more about it HERE.