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Showing posts from March 31, 2013

Picture Book Saturday: The Mice of Bistrot des Sept Freres

The deets:
audience: wee ones
pages: 32
publisher: April 15th 2006 by Tanglewood Press
ISBN: 9780974930367
genre: picture book
source: earc from Netgalley in exchange from an honest review


This story serves up a delightful recipe for a children's book: take one adorable tale of Parisian mice who want to win the prize for the best cheese soup in France, add a full serving of the whimsical illustrations of Marie LeTourneau, mix in a dash of French language and a sprinkling of Parisian café culture, and voilà! We have The Mice of Bistrot des Sept Frères (Bistro of Seven Brothers).

With many basic French words cleverly woven into the story, readers will absorb the language without even realizing it. There is a pronunciation guide at the front of the book, and directions in the back to this website for the famous cheese soup recipe!



The nice thing about the picture book synopsis is that it tells you everything you need to know.

This book was very whimsical. I loved the adorable …

Minute Review: Weirder Than Weird (Francis Burger)

The Deets:
Audience: Anyone
pages: 112
publisher: self published by author
genre: short stories, macabre
source: copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Available on Amazon or from the author's website


ma·ca·bre (Adjective)


Disturbing and horrifying because of involvement with or depiction of death and injury.

I admit, I was drawn to this book because it said it was for fans of The Twilight Zone. Being a huge fan of the show, I had to check this book out.

I usually have mixed feelings about short stories. I never feel that they are long enough to connect with a character or immerse myself in the plot. But, I do appreciate them because they are great for readers that might be scared of longer books. As a teacher, I use short stories all the time for teaching purposes.

Weirder than Weird is a collection of short stories that range from creepy to down right disturbing. I knew I was in for something when the first story featured a woman with a taste for flesh! These ar…

Review: Legasea (Krystalyn Drown)

The Deets:
Audience: YA/MG
pages: 220
publisher:  January 28th 2013 by Curiosity Quills Press
ISBN: 9781620071625
genre: fantasy, mermaids/selkie, mystery
source: I obtained an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review



When sixteen-year-old Aileen Shay sees a dead girl floating in the bay during a midnight yacht party, she never imagines Jamie Flannigan, her new boyfriend, may be involved. The only thing she knows about Jamie is that he personifies the one thing she has been drawn to her entire life – the ocean. But as she grows closer to him, she realizes he knows more about the murder than he's telling. When another girl is attacked, and Jamie refuses to answer her questions, Aileen searches for answers on her own.

Aileen learns that Jamie's family belongs more to myths and legends than they do in the real world. They are selkies, and after the Flannigans threaten her family, Aileen suspects they are responsible for both attacks.

But they aren't the onl…

Giveaway + Book Blast: Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy

After great success with the first book in the Jack Templar series, our beloved monster hunter is back!



After barely surviving the onslaught of monsters that tried to kill him the day before his fourteenth birthday, Jack Templar leaves his hometown on a quest to rescue his father and discover the truth about his past. Joined by his friends Will and T-Rex, and led by Eva, the mysterious one-handed monster hunter, Jack sets out for the Monster Hunter Academy where he hopes to find answers to his questions. Little does he suspect that the Academy is filled with dangers of its own, many of them more terrifying than anything he’s faced so far.

You can find more information about Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy on Amazon. The man behind the book: Jeff Gunhus, Author

Jeff Gunhus grew up in Cyprus, Greece, and Saudi Arabia where there was a distinct lack of television. He quickly found books were the gateway to incredible adventures, fascinating characters and unbelievab…

Author Interview with Missy Fleming (Happily Never After)

In case you missed my review of Happily Never After, you can read it HERE. Fire and Ice publishers has the prologue and the first chapter of the book on its site to read for free. Check it out HERE.

Happily Never After is a retelling of Cinderella with a paranormal twist and an incredible setting (hooray for Southern settings).

The author, Missy Fleming, was gracious enough to entertain me by answering a few of my random questions about her book, the writing process, and a truly useless fact.


The book:

1.I noticed in your author bio that you do not live in Savannah, Georgia. (I was shocked!) Your book, Happily Never After, takes place in this spooky southern town. What made you decide to use Savannah as the setting for your story?
I’ve read a lot about Savannah’s history, even before writing this book, so setting a ghost story there just felt right. I’ve been to New Orleans and in a lot of ways, I imagine Savannah to have a lot in common with it: full of rich history, stories of the pa…

Review: Spellbinding (Maya Gold)

The Deets:
Reading Level: YA
pages: 272
Publisher: April 1st 2013 by Scholastic Point
ISBN: 9780545433808
Source: eARC from Netgalley



There's more than one way to be powerful . . .

It is during a routine school project that Abby Silva--sixteen and nearly friendless--makes a startling discovery: She is descended from women who were accused of witchcraft back in 1600s Salem. And when Abby visits nearby Salem, strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Objects move when she wills them to. Candles burst into sudden flame. And an ancient spellbook somehow winds up in her possession.

Trying to harness her newfound power, Abby concocts a love potion to win over her longtime crush--and exact revenge upon his cruel, bullying girlfriend. But old magic is not to be trifled with. Soon, Abby is thrust headlong into a world of hexes, secrets, and danger. And then there's Rem Anders, the beautiful, mysterious Salem boy who seems to know more about Abby than he first lets on.

A reckon…

The Lost Girl read-along: Week 5

Has it been a month already? Whoa. For week 5 we are reading pages 221-293. That'sthe remainder of part 2 in The Lost Girl. If you missed out on last week's discussion, you can view it HERE.


As you read this week, think about this :
The image of wings keeps popping up as we read. What do the wings symbolize for the characters in the book? Do the paper birds that Eva creates symbolize something different than the wings she creates in Alisha's studio?


For week 6, we will be starting part 3 in The Lost Girl. I will post the discussion questions next Sunday, so check back then to post! Remember, you get 2 entries in the giveaway for every comment you leave on the blog, plus an additional 1 entry for posting on the Facebook page (LINK HERE). So don't be shy! It doesn't matter when you post either, just as long as it's before we finish the book.

Happy reading!

Week 1 discussion questions here.

Week 2 discussion questions here.

Week 3 discussion questions here.

Week 4 di…
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