Meeting Avi

Hello fellow book lovers!

Okay, that was weird. Whatever.

Avi

As you may have been able to tell from the title, I was actually able to meet Avi.

Now, for those of you who don't know, Avi is a very famous author who has written over 75 books and has received the Newbery medal for his novel, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.

While at his event, I purchased The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and will most likely be doing a review on it in the near future.

I've read several of Avi's books, and we own plenty. It felt so good to be bringing him a won out copy to sign :P (nerdy issues.)

Anywhoo...

I didn't exactly know what to expect, because, first of all, the dude's name is Avi. Secondly, he just gives off an overall...um...eccentric vibe. And I mean that in the best way, but ya know what I mean.

However, Avi wasn't weird at all. In fact, he was super easygoing and down to earth. When I arrived just before he began his talk, he was roaming around, sitting down next to kids and chatting with them.

Right when he began speaking, I noticed his voice. It was just so cool. Deep, kinda scratchy, and super calm. He was actually fighting bronchitis, but I swear it made his voice sound cooler.

I realize this is getting a little long, so here's just a brief overview of his talk:

• Avi lives in the Colorado mountains, in a log cabin with no neighbors for miles. They also have no cell phones.
• The reason everyone calls him Avi is because, when his twin sister first began to speak, that is what she called him. Now everyone--his wife, kids, and grandkids--call him Avi.
• His writing assignments in school were given poor grades and were highly criticized, and he was often told that there was no way he could ever become a writer.
• He said that being told he couldn't was what made him become a writer.
• My favorite part was when Avi said that he writes reading, not writing. Also, he said that after he sends the book to the editor, it is no longer his. Rather, it is yours to read and to decide what you make of it. I just loved that!

I really enjoyed meeting Avi, as it was interesting to hear his views on writing, reading, and the like.

If you've read any of Avi's books, comment below and tell me which one! Also, any questions about Avi or my experience? Just ask, people! That's what I'm here for. Hopefully you guys found this (somewhat) interesting :).

Happy reading!

~Paige

Book Review: A Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom

Hi guys!

Super excited for this book review :). This fun read is geared more towards younger kids, but is an entertaining and hilarious read for readers of all ages. It's called: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom.


                               


Why I read this book: My cousin told me I needed to :P.

Publication year: 2012     Number of pages: 480 (never fear--large print!)

Author: Christopher Healy (To visit the author's site, click HERE)

Summary (from author's site): 

Sure, we’re all aware of those guys who show up at the end of fairy tales to save the princesses, throw on a fancy suit, and get hitched in a lavish wedding. But have you ever wondered who those guys really are? Or if the few, meager facts we do hear about them are even true? (Hint: Generally not.)

In the first volume of the Hero’s Guide saga, we meet Prince Frederic, Prince Liam, Prince Gustav, and Prince Duncan — better known as the Princes Charming who rescued Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Snow White, respectively — and find out that these men are far more (or less) than the cardboard cutout heroes we’ve heard tales about. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their kingdoms, these four men bond over their shared anonymity and band together to battle witches, goblins, trolls, bandits, and giants in order to save each of their kingdoms from a diabolical plot. And by the end, with any luck, they may finally become the real heroes they were always meant to be.

Five things to love about A Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom:

• The humor. When I think of this book, this is the first thing to come to mind. I was laughing out loud LOT, considering there's humor on nearly every page. I would imagine the author is quite the comedian, although a lot of the laughs are due to the princes. Which leads me into....
• The characters. The author takes practically lifeless, undeveloped legends and turns them into laughable characters that are bursting with life. This is such a unique book in the way that he has totally re-imagined fairy tales and turned them into something unique that kids will love. I loved the villianess, and the funniest part of all is that these princes aren't real men, more like failures. On multiple levels. And don't even get me started on the princesses! (Which, actually, are not failures :) )
• The creativity of it all. The settings. The characters. The fresh twist on it all. Enough said.
• The illustrations. I don't know who did these, but they're so good. And, even better, there's a lot of them! However, I've picked some of my favorites:

                    

The Princes, looking stoic

The Princes, being *ahem* true to character. And lost.

The Princesses

So yeah.

My take: This fun, creative read kept me entertained and laughing. Despite a few dry moments, it was, for the most part, a roller coaster of adventure that I enjoyed immensely. This book has it all: humor, fun a characters, a great villain, and a fantastic plotline. I would recommend it to readers of all ages, and i give it 7 1/2 out of 10 stars.

If you are reading this for MMGM, please scroll down or click HERE to read my second book review on The Silver Bowl.

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

Paige

                              

Book Review: The Silver Bowl

Hi Guys!

Okay, so I have to admit: I LOVED this book. I'm a little disappointed it didn't walk into my life a little sooner, but now I've read it and I'm doing a review on it and so all is well. I need to stop rambling.

Anyhow...

This week I am reviewing: The Silver Bowl. A very interesting title, I know. A picture if you will:

                                                               

The story presented a fresh twist on medieval kings, curses, and mythical creatures. It was somehow able to incorporate all this while still being down to earth and real. The story is really sad, but worth it. I really loved the characters, as they were a mix of people who nobody had ever wanted, had been wanted at some point, were wanted and loved right then, and who were so famous everybody wanted them. The story was touching, exciting, sad, and always kept you guessing. I really did enjoy it.

Summary (from cover): Unwanted at home, Molly goes to work for the king of Westria as a humble scullery maid. She arrives at the castle with no education, no manners, and a very disturbing secret: She sees visions, and those visions always come true.

One day, while she’s working in the king’s great hall, young Prince Alaric passes by. Molly finds him unbearably handsome—but also unbearably rude. But what does it really matter? She’ll probably never see him again.

In time Molly is promoted to polishing silver and is given a priceless royal treasure to work on: the king’s great ceremonial hand basin. But there’s something odd about it. The silver warms to her touch, a voice commands her to watch and listen, and then the visions appear. They tell the story of a dreaded curse that has stalked the royal family for years. There have already been deaths; soon there will be more.

As tragedy after tragedy strikes the royal family, Molly can’t help but wonder: Will the beautiful Alaric be next? Together with her friends Tobias and Winifred, Molly must protect the prince and destroy the curse. Could a less likely champion be found to save the kingdom of Westria?



Why I read this book: I actually saw the second and third books on the shelf at the library, and I decided I needed to read the first one because the covers were SO COOL!! Check em' out:

                            

Okay. Moving on....

Five reasons to love this book:

• The plot. Written over a couple years, the plot was super well done. It flowed pretty smoothly and kept you guessing. I also loved how there were flashbacks where she went back in time and watched scenes from the past.
• The intensity level. I know this sounds weird, but it handled the graphic fighting and injuries in a realistic yet age-appropriate way.
• The creativity. I find it very hard not to spoil stuff in times like these. But when you do read it, please appreciate when they go inside the bowl!!! That was just way too awesome. 
• The characters. I mentioned it above: they're all pretty much a bunch of misfits, but they're so awesome. They're kinda funny, too.
• There's more. Don't ya just love when you finish an awesome book and you're just like, "Wait...there's two more of them!?" This is what I'm experiencing right now, y'all. Can't wait. 

This was a pretty fantabolous book. I give it 7 1/2 out of 10 stars.

You'll like this book if you enjoy medieval fiction, fantasy, or interesting plotlines.

Thanks for reading! See ya next time,

Paige

Be sure to subscribe by email :).

Apologies, Announcements, and a List

Hi Guys!

So, It's been....2 MONTHS, 6 DAYS, AND 10 HOURS since I last posted. That is so not okay for so many reasons.

But the past is in the past, and I'm back with more exciting nerdy nummies. Are you excited? 'Cause I am.

Anywaayy....


1. The first thing is that I promise not to desert you again. I will continue to blog faithfully!

2. Number two is that Shannon Messenger released the cover for her fourth KOTLC book, Neverseen! Yay! (In addition, I apologize for the typo in the 'KOTLC Title Reveal' post, in which I said that it was the cover reveal. It was not.) Check out the suspenseful, tantalizing, and very green cover below!

                            

Awesome, right? Okay..ONWARD.

3. Okay, super excited about this one...

I may or may not have recently mentioned some guest writers who may or may not (okay fine, they will) be showcasing some very awesome book reviews on this very blog. Awesome, right!? So far, one has reported that their super epic pen name will be Booksnake (I feel the need to put that in green font), and the other will be awesomely dubbed Roses are Red (obviously, I feel the need to put this in red font).

4. Look to the right of your screen. You see that handy dandy little gadget labeled 'Reading Now'? Well, it tells you what book I'm reading. I will admit I'm not exceptionally good at keeping it updated, but I will try. Also, you can subscribe by email at the top of this very page.

A book review is coming soon, along with other cool stuff, as always (perhaps even a giveaway. I dunno.). 

Look for more posts this week! Happy reading!

Paige

To read the original cover reveal post on Shannon Messenger's blog, click away!

KOTLC Update and Title Reveal!

Hi guys!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I’m sorta getting back into the groove of blogging after winter break. School always seems harder after a long break J.

Anyway,  if any of you looked into Keeper of the Lost Cities (I’m just gonna call it KOTLC from now on) after my awesome KOTLC post or my KOTLC book review, you will be super excited to know that Shannon Messenger (the author) REVEALED THE TITLE FOR KOTLC #4!!!!!

AAAAAHHH!

I am way excited!

So, the new title is….

NEVERSEEN!

 

         If you haven't read the latest book in the series, Everblaze, this may not make a ton of sense.

        Yet another reason to read it!


         Keep watching for the cover reveal and comment on why you're excited about KOTLC #4.


         To read the original post on Shannon Messenger's blog, click here.
        
         Look for more posts this week!
        
         Happy Reading!
        
        Paige

Book Review: The Zoo at the Edge of the World

Hi Guys!


This week I'm featuring a middle grade novel that i really enjoyed: The Zoo at the Edge of the World.

I was drawn by the cover and description and wasn't disappointed by the story. The unique POV (from that of a stutterer) and diverse setting made for a fresh twist on the common (and often boring) talking animals scenario.



                                 


Genre/Subject (from inside of cover): Human-animal communication, jungle animals, zoos, stuttering, fiction


Author: Eric Kahn Gale

Publication Date: 2014         Page Count: 232


One-Sentence Summary:


Marlin, a stutterer, can talk smoothly and freely with the jungle animals that populate his father's zoo in South America--until a mysterious man-eating black jaguar, that his father catches and brings home, talks back.


Meatier Summary (from Goodreads):


Marlin is not slow, or mute; what he is is a stutterer, and that makes it impossible for him to convince people otherwise. What he is also is a Rackham: the younger son of the world-famous explorer Ronan Rackham, renowned for his daring exploits in the jungles of South America, taming wild beasts and filling in the blank spaces on the map. Ronan is the owner and proprietor of the Zoo at the Edge of the World, a resort where the well-to-do from all over the globe can come to experience the last bit of the wild left at the end of the nineteenth century. For Ronan, each day is a new opportunity to cast a light into the dark recesses of the world; for Marlin, each day is a struggle: to speak, to communicate, to live up to the lofty expectations that his family name carries. This isn't easy when the only ones who understand him are his father and his pet monkey.

In order to impress a powerful duke who comes to visit the zoo, Marlin's father ventures into the jungle and brings back a mysterious black jaguar, the only one in captivity. Everyone is terrified of it, including Marlin—until one night, when the jaguar confers upon him a powerful gift. Soon, Marlin finds himself with a difficult choice to make and, finally, something to say. If only he can figure out how to say it.

What I liked about it:

• The point of view (POV). A book takes on a whole new meaning when the main character literally cannot speak. He looks at the world in a different way and is much more intellectual than other children his age since his thoughts are trapped inside his head. I thought the author did a good job of making the frustration, shame, and disability very real and vivid for the reader.

• The creativity. The resort is well thought out and interesting. There is a map included at the front of the book, which was well drawn and helpful.

• The animal's dialect. After discovering that he can talk to animals, Marlin has several comical conversations with them. It made me laugh and got me thinking about how animals must view humans. 

• The animal's names. A small thing, I know, but i just loved them.

Conclusion:

I would recommend this novel to anyone who has ever wanted to go on a jungle safari, or even wondered what happens at the zoo after the gates are shut. Personally, i really enjoyed it. It's adventurous and fresh, and explores the hardships of family, loyalty, and doing what's right.


Don't forget to read the book, comment, and subscribe by email.


Check out my recent Holiday Update and come back soon!


Paige

Happy Holidays!

Hi Guys!

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all of you who have read my blog, commented and, after only a little over 3 weeks, made over 785 pageviews possible. Yay!! Thank you!!

I've taken a little break from posting, but will be starting right back up after the the holidays. Check back in for some super fun stuff and an exciting announcement!!

              

Happy Holidays!

Paige