The Case of the Cursed Dodo

This is a review for The Case of the Cursed Dodo, The Endangered Files #1 by Jake G. Panda.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 4 stars, I liked it a lot.

Jake G. Panda is a hard nosed old fashioned Detective.  Oh and he is also a panda bear.  Jake is the resident detective for The Last Resort hotel for endangered animal, where the hotel guests are all endangered animals hiding from extinction.

Jake is searching for his missing friend known as "The Professor."  Along the way he makes new friends and runs into old enemies.  The Professor found an old suitcase in the desert and everyone wants to get their hands on it.  Jake has to sort out all of the clues to find the rightful owner and protect him and the case from the bad guys and goons. The solution to this book is not as clear cut as it seems in the beginning, there are several twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end!

I liked this book quite a lot.  It is a unique new take on an old style of storytelling.  The story is told in the style of old detective movies.  There are screen cues in the story and it uses some turns of phrase that aren't common anymore.  There are several changes in perspective but with the screen cues it is very easy to tell whose perspective the story is being told from.  The story telling style makes this book stand out.

I like that all of the characters are animals.  It added a cute element to the old fashioned detective story.  The animals all have their own personalities, motivations and unique voices.

This book is intended for middle grade readers.  This book would be a great tie in for discussions on endangered animals, extinct animals and wildlife conservation.  Nearly all of the characters in this book are endangered animals.  I recommend this book to every parent with a child who likes mysteries and detective stories. I look forward to seeing more of Jake G. Panda's adventures.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Sleepy Hollow: Children of the Revolution

This is a review for Sleepy Hollow: Children of the Revolution, a tie in novel to the tv show Sleepy Hollow, by Keith R.A. DeCandido
 ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 1 star, I didn't like it at all.

Ichabod Crane is a man out of his time.  He was born in the Eighteenth century and fought in the Revolutionary War.  A twist of fate and a bit of witchcraft bound his life to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.  He died in battle when the Horseman died and when the Horseman was resurrected in the modern world, Crane was resurrected as well.

Ichabod is hoping for a bit of peace when he goes to the park but instead he is given a cryptic message from his wife trapped in limbo.  He has to find the Congressional Cross that he was posthumously awarded to stop the resurrection of a very powerful witch intent on bringing about the apocalypse and destroying the town that captured and killed her 250 years before.

I tried, I really did but I just couldn't get into this book.  I wanted to like it, I really enjoyed the show.  The book is lacking something that the show has.  There is a lot of poor grammar and mangled phrases and not just intentionally mangled phrases.  The bad 'cop talk' makes it feel like a 1950's crime novel.  The jumps back in forth in time and perspective are somewhat annoying.  It is easy to tell who is 'telling the story' but the constant shifts are distracting.  It just feels forced and mass produced and somewhat procedural.  After looking up the author I can see why, he has dozens of books in multiple licensed universes across several genres.  I am sure there are lots of people that would love this book, it just isn't for me personally.  That said, if you like the show you should give this book a quick read.

About the Author: KEITH R.A. DECANDIDO is the award-winning, best-selling author of almost 50 novels, among them books in such universes as Star Trek, Supernatural, Doctor Who, World of Warcraft, and many more. He also writes short fiction, nonfiction, and comic books. Visit him at DeCandido.net.

I received this book free from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Nightmares!

This is a review for Nightmares by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 stars, I loved it.

"Good night, Charlie.

Sleep tight, Jack.

Turn out the lights

and watch

your

back."

Jason Segel is a multitalented man.  Yes, he is Jason Segel, the actor from How I Met Your Mother and The Muppet movie reboots.  Jason is fairly similar to the main character in this book, he suffered from nightmares as a child and learned from them.  This is his book writing debut!

Kirsten Miller grew up in a small town similar to the one in this book minus the spooky purple mansion.  Now she lives and writes in New York City.  She has written several other book series.

Nightmares! is the story of Charlie Laird, a twelve year old boy who has suffered a lot.  He lost his mother right before he turned nine, his father has remarried a woman that he is sure is a witch, and they all moved in to her creepy purple mansion.  None of that is his biggest problem though; Charlie suffers from nightmares every time he so much as dozes off.  Real, scary, terrible nightmares!  He goes to another world when he sleeps and he is tormented there by his biggest fears. 

Things are about to get worse for Charlie, his nightmares are slipping into the waking world and the entire town is in danger and it is all his fault.  If Charlie is going to save his brother, his friends, his town and himself he is going to have to face his biggest fears.  Two is always stronger than one, maybe with his three best friends help he'll be strong enough to save everyone. 

I have to admit I was a little turned off by the beginning of this book.  Charlie is pretty mean to his brother and dad and he calls his stepmother "the stepmonster." Looking at the stepmother through Charlie's eyes she does seem pretty horrible.  She makes green pancakes and split pea soup and her job is really weird.

Charlie is no saint by any means but he isn't a character with no redeeming qualities either. Despite all of his problems Charlie doesn't whine, he doesn't sit down and say "why me?" or "life is so unfair."  He doesn't run from his problems either.  He reaches down deep inside himself and with the help of his friends he finds his courage and faces his deepest fears.  At the beginning of the book Charlie turned me off, he was not especially sympathetic but as his journey progressed I found myself cheering for him.

I would recommend this book to everyone.  Parents may wish to read it before letting their kids read it, or read it with their children.  There are definitely some scary things in this book but it is all about facing your fears and overcoming them.  I will definitely be reading this book with my eight year old!

Pump Up Your Book- Winter Wolf by RJ Blain

Winter Wolf

Rj Blain

November 24, 2014

 Book Blast Event Media Packet:

About The Book

Title:  Winter Wolf
Author: RJ Blain
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Thriller / Supernatural Suspense
Publisher:  Pen & Page Publishing
Publication Date: November 24, 2014
ISBN:  978-1-928148-00-5

Book Description:

The Hunted Wizard

When Nicole dabbled in the occult, she lost it all: Her voice, her family, and her name. Now on the run from the Inquisition, she must prove to herself—and the world—that not all wizards are too dangerous to let live.

The savage murder of a bookstore employee throws Nicole into the middle of Inquisition business, like it or not. Driven by her inability to save the young man’s life, she decides to hunt the killer on her own. Using forbidden magic to investigate the past, she learns that the murderer is in fact a disease that could kill the entire werewolf race.

Forced to choose between saving lives and preserving her own, Nicole embraces the magic that sent her into exile. Without werewolves, the power of the Inquisition would dwindle, and she could live without being hunted.

Nicole’s only hope for success lies in the hands of the werewolves she hates and the Inquisition she fears, but finding someone to trust is only the beginning of her problems. There are those who want to ensure that the werewolves go extinct and that the Inquisition falls.

But, if she fails to find a cure, her family—including her twin sister—will perish…

Book Excerpt: 

Almost everyone in the store had a phone. Dormant devices, from reading lights to mobile chargers, littered the tables. One woman, browsing books nearby, had four battery-powered devices in her purse. One was a phone, and like mine, it hungered. Its need was strong; its battery waned to the point of failure.

If I wanted, I could charge it for her.

No one would notice if I did. Maybe the woman would wonder how her phone hadn’t died before she got home. It only had a few minutes left. It’d take me all of ten seconds to fix it for her. If I did, I wouldn’t be so aware of it. But to do so, I’d have to touch her—or her phone. Some things I could manipulate without having a direct conduit, but cell phone batteries were tricky, greedy things.

I cringed a little, setting the thriller book down. I picked up the next nearest title. I flipped it over, not reading the text on the back. Did I dare? Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the woman browsing through the books. All it would take was a few seconds. I could charge it without her noticing.

That was one thing I was actually good at.

I put the novel I held down and wandered to the same table, careful not to look at her. Book by book, I investigated the titles, circling to where she stood.

“You’re Nicole Thomas, aren’t you? The actress. You’re her.” My quarry appraised me with a pleased expression.

People normally recognized the mainliners, people with beautiful faces and voices to match, people who didn’t avoid crowds.

In short, people other than me.

I met her gaze, abandoning my perusal of novels. “I am,” I replied, wincing a little at the sandpaper-rough quality of my voice. At least I hadn’t been reduced to a whisper—yet. My fatal flaw was my rough, grating voice. Chronic laryngitis did that to a person. It ruined careers, as it had mine, though I hadn’t quite given up on being an actress. I’d already lost the ability to sing.

I wasn’t going to let a stupid disease take everything away from me.

The woman smiled, not seeming to mind talking to someone who sounded more like a zombie than a human. “You’re taller than I expected. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She thrust out her hand.

We shook.

I left her phone alone.

“They keep putting me next to giants,” I quipped. It was true. When I did manage to get on the silver screen, I worked alongside actors easily a foot-and-a-half taller than me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” I matched her smile. She didn’t tell me her name, and I didn’t ask for it.

It took all of my will not to fiddle with her phone. All it would take was a murmured word and a thought, and it’d be done. It would have been easy to charge the battery when our hands had been clasped together, but I hadn’t dared.

If, sometime later, she noticed her phone had magically been charged—literally—she might remember me. She knew my name.

And in true cowardice, I couldn’t bring myself to help her. If she connected the strange behavior of her phone with me, she might tell someone. If she did, I’d be as good as dead—or worse. I had dabbled in the occult, and the occult had dabbled back, and there were those who didn’t like when that happened.

The last thing I needed was them finding me.

Purchase Book at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Wolf-Witch-Book-ebook/dp/B00N1BXDMW/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/winter-wolf-rj-blain/1120209170

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id912946393

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/winter-wolf-1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23155494-winter-wolf

About the Author

RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.

When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter. In reality, she herds cats and a husband. She is currently on a quest for a new warrior fish.

In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.

Favorite Books & Series (In no particular order):

Anne McCaffrey's Pern
Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar & Gryphon Series
Jim Butcher's Codex Alera & The Dresden Files
Brandon Sanderson's Elantris
Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega, Dragon Bones, & The Mercy Thompson series
Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time

Contact RJ at:

Website: rjblain.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/RJ-Blain/121746651191778

Twitter: twitter.com/rj_blain

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7375876.RJ_Blain

Contest Giveaway

Pump Up Your Book and Author RJ Blain are teaming up to give away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive the prize.
• This giveaway begins September 3 and ends on November 25, 2014.
• Winner will be contacted via email on November 26, 2014.
• Winner has 72 hours to reply.
• VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

Rafflecopter Link:

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Doctor Who: Silhouette

This is a review for Doctor Who: Silhouette by Justin Richards.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 4 stars, I liked it a lot.

Justin Richards is a rather prolific writer.  He has written quite a few Doctor Who novels and oversees many others in his role as Creative Consultant for the BBC licensed novels.  This is the first book I have read that was written by him but it is unlikely to be the last.

The Doctor and Clara are drawn into Victorian London when they observe a power spike that should not exist in that era.  The Doctor doesn't want to involve "The Great Detective" and sets out to investigate on his own.  Meanwhile Madame Vastra is working on an investigation of her own and Strax is trying to find the man who murdered his friend.  The three investigations lead them to the Frost Fair and the Carnival of Curiousities.  Coincidences are piling up all around them and as the Doctor knows, coincidences are rarely actually coincidental. 

Silhouette is new territory for me.  Twelve is fresh and new and a bit of an unknown but he worked well alongside Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint, Strax and Clara Oswald.  I felt that Richards' portrayal of the four regulars was very well done.  Clara's cheekiness, Jenny's accent, and Strax' inability to tell man from woman were all included in here and I could nearly hear their voices as I read. 

The villain in this story was a good match for the Doctor.  He was quick and clever and gave the Doctor a good challenge.  It was not immediately obvious to the reader who the true villain was or even what he was.  The Frost Fair was a good distraction to refocus both the Doctor and the reader and keep them in the dark.

All in all this was a good book.  The story kept me interested, the characters rang true and the length was perfect.  There were a few minor grammatical errors that bugged me but nothing that made the book unreadable.  I felt like the setting was borrowed from some other source material but the longer the story went on the more the author made it his own.  If you are a fan of Doctor Who you should definitely read this one.  If you are not a fan of Doctor Who....well why aren't you?

I received this book from blogging for books in exchange for an honest review.  You can find more information about this book here. 

 

My Irish Table

This is a review for My Irish Table by Cathal Armstrong & David Hagedorn.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 4 stars, I liked it a lot.

The main author, Cathal Armstrong, is a Dublin, Ireland native.  This book describes his journey from his Da's vegetable garden to owning his own restaurant in Virginia and all the steps in between.  Armstrong fondly reminisces about his childhood and the work ethic and love of food his parents instilled in him.  He doesn't shy away from mentioning his own mistakes.  He has come a long way but he isn't haughty or entitled about it.  This book is the work of a street smart, Irish lad with common sense and humility.

The recipes in this book range from the incredibly simple, basic staples of Irish food to the fancy, decadent dishes served in a fancy restaurant.  As you read through the book there are stories and anecdotes about all of Cathal's family.  You get a real sense of who he is and for me that makes trying his recipes all the more fun.

The recipes in this book cover all the Irish basics including fish & chips, beef stew, shepherds pie, rack of lamb, scones and a wide array of potato dishes.  I haven't tried all of the recipes in here but what I have tried has been delicious.  Each recipe includes detailed instructions.  There are recipes for people of all skill levels.  Every recipe uses ingredients that are readily available.  You may have to stop at more than one store but you should be able to find most everything you need if you live in a decent sized town.  You will need to track down a butcher for some things like sheep kidneys for steak & kidney pie and a few of the rarer ingredients have websites listed where you can look for things you may need as well.

If you like traditional Irish food or want a really well written recipe for something a little fancier you should check out this book.  If you want a mix of the two then this is definitely a book you should get your hands on!  This cookbook will be staying in my kitchen for years to come.

You can check out an excerpt of this book on the publisher's website here.

I received this book from blogging for books in exchange for an honest review.

Alice in the Country of Joker: Nightmare Trilogy 1: A Dream Before Dawn

This is a review for Alice in the Country of Joker: Nightmare Trilogy 1: A Dream Before Dawn

I give this book ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 3 stars, I liked it.

For those of you unfamiliar with this series here is a little background info.  Alice in the Country of books are based on a japanese video game series.  Alice was kidnapped by the White Rabbit and brought to the Country of Hearts.  The Country of Hearts is very different than the world Alice is used to, some of the inhabitants have animal ears, some of them have faces that are hard to see, violence is everywhere, and life is not considered precious because everyone can be replaced.  To return to her own world Alice has to fill a small vial, the vial fills with the medicine of heart every time she interacts with the strange inhabitants of the Country of Hearts.  The vial was filled and Alice chose to stay with her new found friends.  The Country of Hearts is a strange place and as soon as Alice got used to it everything changed and she found herself in the Country of Clover.  Some of her friends were missing in Clover but there were new people around.  Now in this series it is April Season and each area of the land is in a different season.  All of her friends are back and there is a circus with the enigmatic Joker in charge. 

Ok, background info out of the way, on to reviewing this actual book!
Alice has chosen to stay in Clover tower and has taken a job working for Nightmare.  He is weak and sickly and avoids work as often as possible.  The regular people in this world are scared of him but Alice thinks he is kind.  Nightmare doesn't seem to mind other people being scared of him but he really wants to impress Alice.  The results are disastrous for Nightmare but hilarious for the reader.

I really enjoy Nightmare as a character. I was hoping to enjoy this series more. I was put off by the sloppy art style compared to the other books in this same franchise. There are small variations between the various series in this franchise but most of them are more refined than this one. This one relies more heavily on exaggerated expressions and chibizations than some of the others. The story itself is still good and I am interested to see where it goes. One other thing that bugged me is the cover art/color pages; every other cover or color page that has had Nightmare he has been shown with grey or blue-grey eyes and suddenly this one he has red eyes. Not only did the artist not match with the other series, but also failed to match his eyes with their own previous art.

That said; if you enjoy this franchise and like Nightmare you should pick this one up