Seth's review of The Gathering by S.L. Dearing

Synopsis:
Thirteen years after the last world war, the village of Lia Fail sits peacefully above the Hollywood Reservoir in the Santa Monica Mountains. The village is making ready for the fall Gathering, where the other colonies from various parts of what was once Southern California visit for ten days of fun and reminiscence. What begins as a normal Gathering, soon changes as the people of Lia Fail begin to see magic around them. Then they receive news of a horrific massacre and face a nightmare as a dark evil descends on the tranquil village. Alia Stark, the queen of Lia Fail, must face this evil along side her oldest and dearest friends as well as an incredible new ally as the fate of her people and the lives of her children rest in her hands. Will her new magic be strong enough to save those she loves the most?

Seth's Thoughts:

I would like to say that I gave this book a lot of effort. I kept coming back to it in order to finish it. But each time I picked it up to read, it failed to grab me and pull me into the hole in the page that transports me into the story. I ended up only getting about one hundred pages into it and could go no further with it. I did not finish reading it. The characters were lacking in development from page one. The story was also a bust. I just couldn’t get over the fact that a person who was a ‘beat patrol cop in Los Angeles’ was able to do magic. My suspension of disbelief was just not there. I understand what the author was trying to achieve here but the different elements of the story just did not mesh well at all. Eventually I might get around to finishing the book, but as or now, it's just not for me.

Seth gives The Gathering: 1/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.sldearing.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SLDearing
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/S-L-Dearing/113397045354390

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Neither Seth nor I were compensated in any way for this review.

Cover Reveal for The Prophecy by Rachel Deagan

On the blog today, we have a special treat. Rachael Deagan has asked me to reveal the cover of her upcoming novel, The Prophecy.

Title: The Prophecy

Author: Rachel Deagan

Series: The Star Children Series (#1)

Genre: YA/Urban Fantasy/Science Fiction

Publisher: Self Published

Release Date: January 11, 2013

Formats it will be available in: Amazon Print , Amazon Kindle , & Nook on release day.

Synopsis:

“The cards tell me of the children of the stars.”

Jacey thinks her life is worthless, when she finds herself in a psychiatric hospital after a failed attempt to end her life; her wounds miraculously healed. Devin, who claims to kill on touch, is also there. When Michael arrives, bearing telekinetic powers, he insists the government, and an even darker, more powerful force, wants them dead. 

In a desperate attempt to escape for their lives, the three teens find they must confront an even greater adversary, themselves - and with a Prophesy forced upon them, they must find a way to accept their fate, or rebel together, as one. 

Want to know more about the author?

Rachel grew up in a small town Massachusetts where she most of her time writing about strange paranormal creatures instead of paying attention in class. She has always been considered the ‘dreamy’ one with her head in the clouds. She now lives in Nevada with her two sons, a cat and a rat named Sam.


Places to connect with Rachel
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Deagan/e/B006ZBYYDM/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1354390690&sr=8-2
Blog:  http://moonlightprose.blogspot.com/
Tumblr: http://racheldeagan.tumblr.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.deagan?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/racheldeagan

Fishtale by Hans Bauer and Catherine Masciola

Synopsis:
Sawyer Brown's family runs a catfish farm in rural Mississippi. When his widowed mom gets sick after her wedding ring is swallowed by a pond  cat,  Sawyer is sure the missing ring is to blame. But he soon suspects that the pond cat has become the meal of a far more challenging catch. He sets out with his friends and his stowaway little sister to find the culprit that stole the ring. Journeying deep into the bayou, the foursome must band together to battle the elements, outwit a sneaky poacher, and overcome their differences in pursuit of a colossal catfish. But this is no ordinary fish. This is Ol' One Eye the biggest, oldest, smartest, and meanest durn cat that ever swam the Yazoo River! And before long, the adventurers aren't sure who's chasing who.

My Thoughts:

From the first chapter, Fishtale had me hooked. In the first chapter, the reader gets introduced to Elvira, the curator at the catfish museum. She has what she thinks is the greatest fishing story ever told. The story is about the time her, her brother, and her friends tried to catch the worlds biggest catfish, Ol’ One Eye. Also, they are trying to get back Elvira’s mom's wedding ring so she can get better. The plot was one crazy thrill ride after another. There was never a dull moment where I thought to myself ‘I should put this book down and do something fun’. Reading the book was fun. Just when the kids got into one crazy adventure that you think they aren’t going to get out of, they survive it and get into even crazier adventures. The characters were all beautifully written . My favorite character was Elvira. Even though she was with all guys, she held her own. She didn’t take any crap from the boys. Even though she was quite a bit younger than them, she became quite a valuable member to their adventure. The illustrations at the beginning of each chapter were a good idea. Not only did they give clues as to what was going to happen, but they helped to visualize the world the author created more accurately. I will definitely be reading more of the author's work in the future. 

I give Fishtale: 5/5.

Want to know where to buy this book?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fishtale-ebook/dp/B007TX6QYA

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fishtale-hans-bauer/1108067393

Audiobooks: http://www.audiobooks.com/book/148130

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for na honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

ARC Review: Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz

Synopsis:
A gritty, romantic modern fairy tale from the author of Breakand Gone, Gone, Gone.Be careful what you believe in.

Rudy’s life is flipped upside-down when his family moves to a remote island in a last attempt to save his sick younger brother. With nothing to do but worry, Rudy sinks deeper and deeper into loneliness and lies awake at night listening to the screams of the ocean beneath his family’s rickety house.

Then he meets Diana, who makes him wonder what he even knows about love, and Teeth, who makes him question what he knows about anything. Rudy can’t remember the last time he felt so connected to someone, but being friends with Teeth is more than a little bit complicated. He soon learns that Teeth has terrible secrets. Violent secrets. Secrets that will force Rudy to choose between his own happiness and his brother’s life.

My Thoughts:

Well, Teeth was really good up until a certain point. After the part in the book where a fish rapes a woman and impregnates her, I couldn’t take it seriously anymore. I could barely finish the book after that. There were plot holes everywhere. Why didn’t Daniels fins emerge right after he was born? I also thought that the book had way too much cussing for a young adult novel. Normally I don’t mind some cussing in a young adult novel. However when the f word is used more than half a dozen times in the course of a book it begins to transition into an adult novel rather than a young adult novel. I would have no problem with this if the book was labeled as an adult novel but it’s not. Teeth just wasn’t for me. The plot was utterly ridiculous and made no sense most of the time. The only reason I finished the novel is to see if it got better. Sadly, it did not. I want the few hours that I spent reading this book of my life back. Needless to say, I won’t be reading any of the authors works in the future. 

I give Teeth: 1/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.untilhannah.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hannah.moskowitz
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hannahmosk
Blog: http://hannahmosk.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1217665.Hannah_Moskowitz

I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Fanpire by Tanya Erzen

Synopsis:
An author immerses herself in the frenzied fandom of Twilight, the young-adult vampire romance series that has captivated women of all ages
 
Twilight, Stephenie Meyer’s young-adult vampire romance series, has captivated women of all ages, from teenagers who swoon over the film adaptations to college-educated women who devour the novels as a guilty pleasure. All told, over 110 million copies of the books have been sold worldwide, with translations into 37 languages, and the movies are some of the highest-grossing of all time. Twilight is a bona fide cultural phenomenon that has inspired a vast and unimaginably fertile fan subculture—the “fanpire,” as the members describe it.
 
Just what is it about Twilight that has enchanted so many women? Tanya Erzen—herself no stranger to the allure of the series—sets out to explore the irresistible pull of Twilight by immersing herself in the vibrant and diverse world of “Twi-hards,” from Edward-addition groups and “Twi-rock” music to Cullenism, a religion based on the values of Edward’s family of vegetarian vampires. Erzen interviews hundreds of fans online and in person, attends thousand-strong conventions, and watches the film premiere of New Moon with Twilight moms in Utah. Along the way, she joins a tour bus on a pilgrimage to Twilight-inspired sites, struggles through a Bella self-defense class, and surveys the sub-universe of Twilight fan-fiction (including E. L. James’s enormously popular “Master of the Universe” story, the basis for her erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey).
 
Erzen also takes a deeper look at the appeal of traditional gender roles in a postfeminist era saturated with narratives of girl power. If Twilight’s fantasies of romance and power reflect the fears, insecurities, and longings of the women who love it, the fanpire itself, Erzen shows, offers a space for meaningful bonding, mutual understanding, and friendship.
 
Part journalistic investigation and part cultural analysis, Fanpire will appeal to obsessed fans, Twilight haters, and bemused onlookers alike.

My Thoughts:

This review is hard for me to write. I am very indifferent about Fanpire. I felt no strong emotions either good or bad while reading it. I think that might be because I am not a gigantic fan of The Twilight Saga. When it first came out, I really liked it. Then right before the movie was released Twilight was everywhere. Eventually, I got so sick and tired of hearing about Twilight that I grew to majorly dislike it. Anyways, some parts of the book were interesting. It was kind of fun learning about all of the weird and crazy Twilight products out there. You can buy anything from Twilight Barbie dolls to Edward dildos. It was neat learning about all of the different conventions. I would have never guessed that the U.S. holds that many Twilight conventions across the country. Some of the fans are crazy, but I guess you get that with every fan base. It was also cool to hear about 50 Shades of Grey when it was still the Twilight fan fic, Master of the Universe. 

I give Fanpire: 3/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Blog: http://tanyaerzen.wordpress.com/

I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Just Because by Amber Housey

Synopsis:
Mom's Choice Gold Award and Creative Child Magazine Book of Year for Family Values! What is the value of sharing, taking action, and seeing another person's point of view? Meet two families who feel it's their responsibility to give back to others. Through delightful and whimsical illustrations, Just Because shows us how easy it is to give back to our community and to see things from a different perspective.

My Thoughts:

The idea of a flip side story is very interesting and appealing to me. In a flip side story, the reader gets both perspectives. They always say there are two sides to every story and now you can see all of them. In Just Because, the first perspective the reader gets is a family taking clothes to a donation center for people who don’t have clothes. It teaches children not to be greedy. If there are things that you don’t use another family might need them and not be able to afford them. It also teaches about how giving to others can make you feel good inside. The second perspective is about the family that needs the clothes. I felt bad for this family just by looking at them. They had holes in their socks and shoes. However, they learned an important lesson about giving and donating. Even if they do something that they think is small, like volunteering at a homeless shelter, it can make a big impact on someone’s life. This is a great book for parents to read to their children and discuss it afterwards. What can children do to help others? As the book shows, even the smallest child can do something to help. I recommend this book for children 3 and older. 

I give Just Because: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.theflipsidestories.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FlipSideStories
Twitter: https://twitter.com/imaflipsider
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5333772.Amber_Housey

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

The Bee Bully by Angela Muse

Synopsis:
This is the tale of a grumpy little bee who learns the error of his wicked ways. This bee soon finds out that treating others with kindness is the best way to earn friends.

My Thoughts:

The Bee Bully is a great children’s book. The book teaches children the importance of being nice to people. The bee is always mean to the people around him. One day he goes to sting a child and the child captures the bee in a jar. While the bee is inside his glass prison, he becomes very remorseful. He feels horrible about the way that he has treated everyone around him. When the boy surprisingly lets the bee go, the bee puts actions to his thoughts. He starts to treat everyone nicely. The book also teaches to be thankful for what you have because you never know when it can be taken away. I really liked the books large print. The illustrations look computer generated. However, they are still cute. My favorite illustration is the one with the bee in the red, blue, and purple flowers. This is a good children’s book. Not only do children have fun reading it but they learn a valuable lesson as well. I recommend this book for children 3 and older. 

I give The Bee Bully: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://4eyesbooks.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amuse663
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3155533.Angela_Muse

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.