Archives for September 2015

REVIEW | Is Beastly Bones by William Ritter Another Winner?

September 21, 2015 Comments : 2

Beastly Bones

“I’ve found very little about private detective R. F. Jackaby to be standard in the time I’ve known him. Working as his assistant tends to call for a somewhat flexible relationship with reality.”

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer R. F. Jackaby are called upon to investigate the supernatural.

First, a vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens, and a day later, their owner is found murdered with a single mysterious puncture wound. Then in nearby Gad’s Valley, now home to the exiled New Fiddleham police detective Charlie Cane, dinosaur bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Charlie calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.[/note]

myreview

[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]I received this book for free from Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.[/note]

First sentence: “Follow my lead, Miss Rook,” Jackaby said, rapping on the ornately trimmed door to 1206 Campbell Street.

Have you read Jackaby? No? You really should, and here are my reasons why. But if you have, well done! You can pick up Beastly Bones, a wonderful sequel that gives you more abnormal cases dealing with the supernatural and humor that’ll have you snickering to yourself.

Lead supernatural investigator, R. F. Jackaby, and his assistant, Abigail Rook, are at it again; they’re on another peculiar case that deals with the murder of various people, all found with a mysterious puncture wound. Is it another serial killer that’s murdering these folks? As the pair investigate what happened, they find that the murders may be linked to the recently dug dinosaur bones in Gad’s Valley where Charlie Cane, former New Fiddleham police detective, had been exiled to. Not only does Beastly Bones give you fossils and murder, it also gives you shape shifters, hilarious new characters and familiar ones, same ole Jackaby being as elusive as ever, and Abigail trying to prove herself.

Reviews

(ARC) REVIEW | Why You Need to Read Vengeance Road

September 18, 2015 Comments : 6

Vengeance Road

When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there’s room for love in a heart so full of hate.

In the spirit of True Grit, the cutthroat days of the Wild West come to life for a new generation.[/note]

myreview

[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]I received this book for free from HMH Books for Young Readers in exchange for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.[/note]

First sentence: “It weren’t no secret Pa owned the best plot of land ‘long Granite Creek, and I reckon that’s why they killed him.”

Who knew Westerns could be so fun? Why don’t you mosey on towards Vengeance Road, guys? Don’t be hesitant about Westerns because they are awesome when you give them a fighting chance.

Vengeance Road follows Kate Thompson looking to avenge her father’s death after the Rose Riders came for him and hung him up because of a journal leading to buried treasures. Along the way, she gains a pair of brothers and a Native American girl, not at all welcome on her path to revenge. Kate learns that she will need their help to get what she wants, and she’ll lie and omit if she has to. She’s gonna kill Waylan Rose and his boys one way or another.

Holy Mother Cover

HOLY, MOTHER COVER! | Changes in Six-Gun Snow White

September 17, 2015 Comments : 5

holymothercover

Inspired by What She Reads, Pure Imagination Blog, and Stacked.

I admit I’m a book cover snob. Who isn’t though?

Book covers are the first thing that attracts readers to a book. A good cover can draw someone is, just as a bad cover can easily draw someone away. It can essentially make or break a book. Holy, Mother Cover! is where I showcase the book covers that stand out (or make me cringe), and discuss cover changes.

(A big special thanks to Georgie at What She Reads for bestowing me this fabulous name and to Charlotte at The Simple Tales for creating the beautiful feature banner you see before you.)

**COVER CHANGE: Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente**

Discussion

WOULD YOU RATHER TAG

September 15, 2015 Comments : 5

I saw Charlene do this meme, and thought that looks fun. I always find “would you rather” questions fun to contemplate, and here, we have a bookish one. I gotta do this!

Would you rather read only trilogies or standalones?

Standalones ftw! I am terrible at reading trilogies (or series) because there are so many to keep up with. You have to wait for the next one to come out, and it’s always a bother. Standalones are way easier to read and reread because it’s just one book. There’s so much writers can pack in a book, and there’s no need to wait.

Typography

YOU’RE JUST MY TYPE | {33}

September 14, 2015 Comments : 5

I love fonts. You can say I’m obsessed with collecting them all. It’s no secret to those who know me. You’re Just My Type is a new feature where I showcase the fonts I absolutely adore and use. And hopefully, you will love the fonts I pick. Add all of them to your font collection! Let it grow!

It’s Monday, but don’t hate it because it’s also font day at The Novel Hermit!

In this batch of fonts, you’ll see different fonts that are narrow, stencils, telling you to dream big, and so much more.

Go forth and add these fonts to your font book!

(Remember, when you download the fonts, look at the license to see what you can and cannot do with it. Majority of it will be for personal use only, meaning you can’t use it on stuff you’re selling. The ones with an asterisk* are free for personal and commercial use. )

MAJESTIC BANNER

Majesti Banner is designed by Joe Prince.

Reviews

(ARC) REVIEW | Surprising Things You’ll Find in Fans of the Impossible Life

September 12, 2015 Comments : 4

fans of the impossible life

Mira is starting over at Saint Francis Prep. She promised her parents she would at least try to pretend that she could act like a functioning human this time, not a girl who can’t get out of bed for days on end, who only feels awake when she’s with Sebby.

Jeremy is the painfully shy art nerd at Saint Francis who’s been in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school. When he sees Sebby for the first time across the school lawn, it’s as if he’s been expecting this blond, lanky boy with mischief glinting in his eye.

Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend, is a boy who seems to carry sunlight around with him. Even as life in his foster home starts to take its toll, Sebby and Mira together craft a world of magic rituals and impromptu road trips, designed to fix the broken parts of their lives.

As Jeremy finds himself drawn into Sebby and Mira’s world, he begins to understand the secrets that they hide in order to protect themselves, to keep each other safe from those who don’t understand their quest to live for the impossible.[/note]

myreview

[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]I received this book for free from HarperCollins for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.[/note]

First sentence: “The first day of my sophomore year of high school I somehow lost the ability to tie a tie.”

What a lovely surprise, Fans of the Impossible Life is.

I had thought this book would be a love triangle (with hints of ot3 goodness), but it’s more like a beautiful friendship triangle.

The book follows three characters:

Mira, a biracial overweight teenager who loves vintage dresses, suffers from depression, and tries to make her parents happy by going to St. Francis Prep and pretending to be normal.

Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend and foster kid who seems like he’s all sunshine and positivity, but harbors hurt and pain from his past that he never dealt with.

Jeremy, an art lover and loner who had been bullied, returns to St. Francis Prep, and becomes captivated by Mira and Sebby and their friendship when he first sees them.

Each character are such a joy to read about because of how well-crafted they are and how they interact together. You’d want to know more about them.

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