Auggie Talk

PitchWars 2018: #BoostMyBio

2018-07-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

The time is now!

Time for the much loved and funtastic PitchWars tradition of #BoostMyBio (formerly #pimpmybio)!

TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR: This blog hop is JUST FOR FUN and is not affiliated with PitchWars or a requirement for anyone looking to enter the Pitch Wars competition this year. However, mentors MAY use this blog hop to help them get to know potential mentees better!

The Blog Hop will officially open July 31st, and you'll be able to post your links right here on this very blog post!

How it works:

Step 1

Create a #BoostMyBio post on your website or blog. If you don't have a website or blog, list some fun facts about yourself via twitter and link your twitter post.

IMPORTANT #BoostMyBio thread!

The link up (part of #pwpoeprompts, not affiliated with PitchWars) begins JULY 31!

The link up will close to new submissions on AUGUST 29 when the #PitchWars submission window closes.

Don’t know where to start with your bio? Read on!
— Audra Atoche -Auggie (@Odrah) July 26, 2018

Step 2

Link your post when #BoostMyBio goes live on July 31st using the InLinkz button at the bottom of this post.

First box - Enter your post URL

Second box - Enter YOUR NAME/GENRE

You can upload your own picture for the thumbnail, or leave it as the default. Up to you!

DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING BEFORE HITTING ENTER.

Step 3

Check out other bios! Search the #BoostMyBio hashtag on twitter to make new friends. The BIGGEST BOON of PitchWars is the community. Go! Mingle!

Add Your Bio!

On July 31st, you'll be able to add your Bio HERE!

ENTER YOUR #BOOSTMYBIO LINK HERE

Advice From The Query Trenches V.1

2018-06-10T17:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday, Biblionerds!

A short and sweet post regarding an aspect of querying for those of you who are getting ready to launch yourself into the epic querying journey.

Short because I know you're probably stretched on time, like most writers are. So let me get to the point.

DON'T QUERY UNTIL YOUR MANUSCRIPT IS DONE.

This includes cold querying, pitch contests, and any other type of appealing to agents where said agents may immediately turn around and say "This sounds great! Send me the pages!"

When an agent asks to see more (or all!) of your manuscript, you need to get it in their hot little hands AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Querying is usually a slow process. Especially cold querying. When you send in a query you may be expecting another 4-8 weeks of editing time before you get a response. BEWARE. An agent may be sitting in their inbox when your query comes through. Maybe they love your query so much they get back to you super fast, unexpectedly, to see more.

But you're not done! You still have final edits to complete! You thought you had time!

So now you're stuck with either sending in a not-in-its-best-shape manuscript or making the agent wait before they see it.

You already know why sending in your not-in-its-best-shape manuscript is not good, but what's wrong with making an agent wait?

This is a professional environment you've entered into, there will be deadlines. The agent will have deadlines, you'll have deadlines, you'll all be up to your eyeballs in deadlines... and if you're taking your time to send in a manuscript that should have already been done, that's not a good look.

Sure - you don't always see your e-mail right away. A day or two delay probably isn't going to send any negative messages. But if you've got a week, or two weeks, or Hades forbid a MONTH in between a query request and a submission, there will be some alarm bells ringing in the agent's ears.

In regards to pitch contests - I know they don't happen all the time, and you don't want to miss a good opportunity, but be honest with yourself about whether or not you want an agent to see your work as-is right away. If your answer is "After I've tweaked it a bit" - it's not ready.

Patience is your friend. The entire industry is rooted in having patience. There will be other opportunities - present your best work.

See you next post and Happy Reading/Writing!

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Writing in 2018 - An Aspiring MG/YA Author’s Guide

2018-01-14T08:10:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday, Biblionerds!

Today I'm going to post a resource post for all of you aspiring authors (like myself) who are looking for their place in the online writing community, which is big and hepful and sometimes terrifying.

First off - Everything I say about my journey is one perspective, any suggestions, advice, or encouragement I offer is coming from a place of love but may not be right for you. This journey is so vastly different for everyone - but the biggest thing is: YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO IT ALONE.

There’s a place for you in the writing community and if you’re willing to put in the effort, the door is wide open to welcome you.

At the beginning of 2017 I was finishing up my first completed project (not my first project EVER but the one that I loved enough to revise and revise and revise and revise). I’d edited it for what felt like the zillionth time and had BETA readers involved. I thought I was ready - so I sent out a couple of queries and was met with immediate rejection (spoiler: my manuscript totally wasn’t ready yet).

One rejection in particular was pretty scathing. It suggested that my writing sounded like I was “trying too hard”.

Well. Yikes.

In the dark moment of total personal uncertainty that followed, I found #ontheporch on twitter. Then #Pitchwars. Then...

I’ll stop there with my story, which is still developing every day. Things got better. My manuscript got better. I got better. And it was because of the community and resources I found that I now want to share with you.

Following is a list of hashtags, resources, and contests that I have found to be great building blocks for my writing life. If you have ANY questions or just want to chat about the crazy process that is wrtiting - DM me over on Twitter (@Odrah). I'm not even close to the be-all-end-all on information but I've been there, I AM there, and I understand you, my little bibliophile. I understand.

So here we go!

Community

The writing community online is HUGE. And, admittedly, intimidating to break into. Lots of people have already formed some pretty tight knit friendships and support groups and it may feel like you're on the outside looking in. I GET IT. THAT WAS ME.

You're seen and you're heard - but just like joining a club, you can't show up to ONE event and none of the meetings and expect everyone to remember you. Be present.

If you believe you don't have anything to add - that's HOGWASH. You have something to offer the community that has NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE. You!

Here are a few great #'s to get you started. I'm only posting a small sampling because there are TONS of writing #'s to try, but these are the ones I've personally enjoyed the most. These are all Twitter based, because this is the platform I use the most - but you can find these same # on Instagram.

#ontheporch

- START HERE. #ontheporch is a supper supportive group of writers on all stages of the journey. Highly welcoming. Not intimidating. They welcome new people to their fold with total enthusiasm. They also have a "no selling" rule - so you're not going to be bombarded with people trying to push their books onto you with no interest in friendship or community.

#turtlewriters

- A group of writers who are a little more laid back. Their writing progress is more chill than others for varrying reasons but they are still hyper-supportive and full of wisdom and info.

#amwriting

- This # is much bigger in scope and there are a LOT of people posting on it, so it's easy to get lost in the noise, but this # is great for finding others who are in your same spot (that's how you make friends)

Use subhashtags in combination like #MG, #YA, #Fantasy #SciFi (etc.) to find others writing in your same genre. Like their tweets (or insta posts), comment on their stuff, offer support!

#amediting

- Same as #amwriting but for people who are in the oh-so-glorious yet harrowing editing stages.

#PitchWars

-This hashtag will have all the info for upcoming PitchWars events and competitions that happen throughout the year (Pitmad for example- more info below). It's also going to be filled with truly inspiring stories of writers at every stage of their process.

#novelaesthetics

-This is just fun! Writers on Twitter and Istagram make collages of images that represent their WIP (Work In Progress). Looking at ad commenting on other people's novel aesthetics and creating your own is a great ice breaker.

Writing
Resources

Below you'll find a few resources that helped me a lot during my writing/editing and querying processes.

CP Match

On Twitter there's this great thing called #cpmatch. You get matched up with a critique partner (CP), exchange your work (at whatever stage) and let the fun and work begin! CPs are critical to many writers. The first CP you get matched up with might not be THE ONE for you. It's okay. Keep looking. Finding a partner who understands your vision and has a similar editing style/process will happen, and it will be glorious.

SIDE NOTE: Ok. Here's the deal. You are not an island. No matter how much you wish you were. You need eyes on your work, because after a while you become immune to some of the problems. AND ALSO, we can't know every little thing. A fresh new perspective will uncover something you'd previously overlooked. It can be scary scary scary to share your writing, but it's a fear you've got to overcome if you want your best work landing in an Agent's inbox.

One Stop for Writers and Writers Thesaurus

One Stop for Writers is JUST WHAT IT SAYS IT IS. It's a place for writers to find plot charts, character worksheets, and so much more. I'll let them speak for themselves:

"This storehouse of creative information is the inspiration behind One Stop For Writers®. Like a library, One Stop houses a vast collection of reference materials that are intended to help writers improve their craft. Our library is loaded with one-of-a-kind story and character planning resources unlike anything else available."

OSFW also has 14 different Thesauri for writers including: Emotion, Positive Trait, and Symbol/Motif thesauri.

Manuscript Academy

There are SO MANY OPTIONS at Manuscript Academy for you no matter what your stage of the process. Panels and video classes from varying book professionals cover topics from Marketing and Social Media to Voice and Contract Law.

Their podcasts are fun and informative and they offer critiques and 10-minute chats with editors and agents to help prepare you for the lauded and frightening querying part of your writing journey.

We believe that the writing conference should be affordable, accessible, and awesome. We offer personalized, creative access to the top minds in the industry--all without leaving home.

Contests

PitchWars

This is the biggie, so I'm mentioning it first. Pitch Wars is a yearly event that starts around July with blog hops and official submission window announcements. You'll have an opporunity to pitch your FINISHED MANUSCRIPT to 4 participating mentors (Publishes/Agented Authors) in your category. Winners work with their mentors for 2 months to revise and prepare their manuscript for the agent round in November.

I CAN NOT STRESS TO YOU ENOUGH WHAT A HUGE OPPORTUNITY THIS IS. Even if you don't make it in, all of the events and contests leading up to it will help you forge super support groups and will make your pitches and first pages better. Participating (regarldess of whether or not you get a mentor) will change your writing and your outlook.

Here's the current schedule for 2018

Pitch Wars is closed for submissions until July 2018
March 8, 2018: #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party (8AM – 8PM EDT)
April: Look for information about Pitch Wars Query and First Page Workshops
June 7, 2018: #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party (8AM – 8PM EDT)
July: Look for the Blog Hop and Submission Window!
August: Pitch Wars Mentees Announced
September 6, 2018: #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party (8AM – 8PM EDT)
November: Pitch Wars Agent Showcase
December 6, 2018: #PitMad Twitter Pitch Party (8AM – 8PM EDT)

Note - #PitMad is a twitter pitch party where you pitch your FINISHED MANUSCRIPT to agents using only the 240 characters allowed to you. It happens several times a year, so you don't have to worry about missing out if you're not quite ready in the early parts of the year.

1st50 and Peer Pitch

These are two twitter # events that occur throughout the year and involve getting the community in on helping you tighten up your pitches and 1st 50 words of your manuscript.

A long list is chosen from entires and posted on The Scribblers webiste. From the long list, the short list is formed! Short listed winners get a bit of exposure and some rad bragging rights, but it's the community involvement leading up to the contest that really matters. That's where you meet your people and hone your work.

If you want to stay up on when the next #PeerPitch and #1st50 contests are, check out The Scribblers on Twitter.

Query Kombat and other Michelle Hauck Competitions

Query Kombat is a super fun, bracket style competition involving... you guessed it... queries! QK happens around May - The official dates will be available on Ms. Hauck's website.
On said website you will also find information on the following competitions:

Sun Vs. Snow (Query and first 250 words)

Nightmare on Query Street

Picture Book Party

Author Mentor Match

So this is not actually a competition, but it's in the same wheelhouse as the above contests. Check their website for 2018 entry dates. And here's a word about AMM from their own mouths!

What is Author Mentor Match?
Author Mentor Match pairs unagented, aspiring YA writers with mentors to help them with their manuscripts and guide them through the publishing process.

There’s no contest aspect–AMM focuses on building lasting relationships. Mentors will help writers revise their manuscript before querying, give advice and tips on agents, and support through the process.

Querying

If you've completed (and revized the stuffing out of) your Manuscript and are ready to hop into what's known as the "querying trenches", then here are some helpful resources for you.

#MSWL

This is a most invaluable resource. Many many many agents are on twitter and utilize the #MSWL (Manuscript Wish List). They TELL YOU exactly what they want to see. If your manuscript matches something in an agent's wishlist - SEND YOUR QUERY! Be sure to mention the match in your query letter. Agents appreciate research and personalization, so don't feel creepy about saying that you saw their MSWL. That's why it's there!

You can also utilize their handy and informative website to search MSWL lists: Manuscript Wishlist

#askagent

Another twitter hashtag that will give you hyper-important info regarding the to-dos and the not-to-dos when you're querying. You're going to need this hashtag when you get to this point. Have a question? ASK AN AGENT. But if you're a little on the reserved side, you can just peruse all of the awesome questions and answers that have already been posted. If you have a particular agent you're intersted in seeing answers from, use the twitter search: #askagent [agents twitter name]

Query Tracker

Query Tracker is a fabulous tool - especially if you love stats and reports. There is a free version and a paid version. BOTH are great. With the free version you can organize your querying lists, research agents, and keep track of who has your query, your partial, or your full. You can even log CNRs (no responses) and rejections. All of this results in a stat chart that can help you determine things such as: Is my query working? Do my first pages need another look over?

You can also search agents by genre and be up on who's open and who isn't. There are also forums and comment sections!

The PAID version will give you access to agent reports, including response times, submission replies, and Agents with similar tastes.

Publishers Marketplace

Publishers Marketplace is a paid subscription to a website that contains agent information such as: Recent Sales, Recent Aquisitions, Publishing Houses worked with, Editors worked with, Authors represented and much much more.

When you're getting ready to query, this can be a very important resource for you. But it is not 100% necessary. You can find most very important information about agents on Agency websites, through google searches, and on the Agent's social media profiles (specifically...wait for it... Twitter!).

But if you want that little extra insight, Publisher's Marketplace is a great investment.

That's All For This Resource Post!

I hope that the above lists have given you at least a starting point for your incredible (really, it's going to be rad) writing and querying journey.

Like I said before, please feel free to connect with me on Twitter. If I can't answer your questions, maybe I know someone who can!

Good luck!

See you next post and Happy Reading/Writing!

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 31 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Check Out My Reviews Of:

Happy New Year! 2018

2018-01-04T11:52:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, Biblionerds!

It's been a wild year, readers.

The blog went on the back burner several times for varying reasons, from navigating the fabulous world of motherhood to the embarking on an intense writing/revision/querying journey.

I've got a pretty impressive line up of books waiting to be read in the new year and while my reading goal is MUCH lower than normal (I'm starting with 30 books to keep the pressure off) other goals are taking their places in the 2018 resolution ranks.

Below you'll find some links to a few (new and old) reads that I'm looking forward to getting to in 2018.

The other goals situating themselves for the new year are mostly WRITING related and in light of that Auggie-Talk will begin featuring some writing related posts in 2018. Nothing fancy - updates and encouragement from me to you (because encouragement is the mana upon which writers exists in the dark days of revisions).

I'm not going to do a full blown 2017 recap post, because I'm so ready to get into 2018.

So without further ado, here are some 2018 goals and things to look forward to.

Reading

A FEW of the books I'm looking forward to reading in 2018

(click on the cover to be magically transported to Goodreads)

Writing

In 2017, I participated in PitchWars and made an incredible group of friends who continue to inspire me daily. In 2018 I'll continue to query my PW novel (a MG portal fantasy) and work on two other projects - A YA Supernatural Fantasy and MG Horror.

In 2018 I also plan on participating in PitchWars again, either as a contestant or (fingers crossed) a mentor.

I also hope to support those of you who are aspiring authors like myself by sharing websites, posts, groups, and events that have helped me along the way. It's such a big and welcoming community, and if you're up for diving in, it's completely worth the time.

Look for my post "Writing in 2018 - An Aspiring Authors Guide" to go live in the next few days with info on how I found my space in the online writing community and all of the magnificent resources available out there (that I had ZERO idea about until this year).

I'm still navigating these mystic writing waters, and everyone's journey is different, but I hope something I share in the coming weeks/months/years will encourage or inspire you as I have been encouraged and inspired by many others.

Alright, that's a wrap for this first post of the year. I'm looking forward to talking books with you in 2018!

Don't forget to find me on twitter (which is where I lurk so much of the time - like a shadowy, awkward, lurking...thing.)

Happy New Year, book worms!

See you next post and Happy Reading/Writing!

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 31 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Check Out My Reviews Of:

Pitch Wars 2017 - Gratitude Giveaway

2017-11-13T07:32:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday, Biblionerds!

PITCHWARS IS OVER! *confetti* It was a truly wild ride and perhaps one of the best writing experiences I've ever had. I feel lucky to have been paired with such an incredible mentor, (Go give her love, her creepy MG book comes out in Feb. - E. Latimer - Goodreads - Amazon) and after 2 months of intense revision and an even more intense agent round, it's finally time to begin the querying and waiting processes. Now that things are calming down (ish), I can get some blog posts back up and going.

If you're interested in seeing the Pitch Wars entry for my book "The Peculiar Predicament of Penelope Pendragon", click here.

Celebration

To celebrate the end of PitchWars 2017 and to show my gratitude for my mentor and the hard-working people who make PW happen - I'm hosting 2 giveaways in their honor. Enter bellow to win a copy of "The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray" by E. Latimer and a $20 Amazon gift card.

Giveaway ends - 11/20 11:59pm CST

Mentor Love Giveaway

Two (2) pre-order copies of
"The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray"

Giveaway ends - 11/20 11:59pm CST

To honor my fantastic mentor, I'm giving away 2 copies of her book (pre-order for February) to two lucky winners.

How To Enter:

There are two chances to win a copy of "The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray" by E. Latimer. The first is to fill out the Rafflecopter form bellow.

The second is to follow @elatimerwrites and retweet the following tweet:

#PW17gives In honor of my fantastic #Pitchwars mentor @ELatimerWrites and PW creator @brendadrake, I am giving away 2 copies of "Strange and Deadly Portraits" and 2 $20 Amazon gift cards. 2 ways to enter - Retweet and/or fill out Raffle Copter here: https://t.co/yWpc1uJ5Vb pic.twitter.com/PYbErJBFRI
— Audra Atoche -Auggie (@Odrah) November 13, 2017

I will pick a winner from the Rafflecopter AND a winner from Twitter. Good luck!

(This giveaway valid anywhere that Amazon or Book Depository ships.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gratitude Giveaway

Two (2)

$20 Amazon Gift Cards

Giveaway ends - 11/20 11:59pm CST

Brenda Drake, the hard working creator and coordinator of Pitch Wars and #PitMad, wears many hats and juggles the rest. She has created an amazing contest and community. Especially if you are a writer, I hope you'll follow her on twitter to keep up with all of the truly fantastic things she does for writers.

In honor of her I am giving away two (2) $20 amazon gift cards.

How to Enter:

There are two chances to win a $20 amazon gift card. The first is to fill out the Rafflecopter form bellow. The second is to follow @brendadrake and retweet the following tweet:

#PW17gives In honor of my fantastic #Pitchwars mentor @ELatimerWrites and PW creator @brendadrake, I am giving away 2 copies of "Strange and Deadly Portraits" and 2 $20 Amazon gift cards. 2 ways to enter - Retweet and/or fill out Raffle Copter here: https://t.co/yWpc1uJ5Vb pic.twitter.com/PYbErJBFRI
— Audra Atoche -Auggie (@Odrah) November 13, 2017

I will pick a winner from the Rafflecopter AND a winner from Twitter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#PitMad

If you're a writer with a completed manuscript and are looking to throw your hat into the querying ring - Consider entering #PitMad on December 7th - a twitter pitch party that is not only loads of fun but is also a great opportunity to practice pitching your work with a chance to get it seen by browsing agents.

See you next post and Happy Reading/Writing!

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 31 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Check Out My Reviews Of:

PitchWars Update and Fall Into Cash Giveaway

2017-10-15T18:15:00.005-05:00

Happy October, Bibliogeeks!

It's October! Thank you all for your continued support while I'm navigating through the intense editing/revision process that is PitchWars. My experience so far has been tremendous, and I'm happy every day that I have this opportunity.

PitchWars revisions continue through the end of the month so the blog will remain pretty quiet until at least then. To tide you over, here's another fantastic cash giveaway hosted by I Am a Reader and sponsored by authors and bloggers alike, including myself.

Enter the giveaway and then get back to readin'!

Fall Into Cash Giveaway

October 15th to November 15th

Enter for your chance to win $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon Gift Card.

Sponsor List

Thanks to these fabulous authors and bloggers for making this giveaway possible!

I Am A Reader

Lori's Reading Corner

The Lovely Books

Author Mary Ting

Author Melissa Wright

Kindle and Me

Coupons and Freebies Mom

My Life. One Story at a Time.

Kasey’s Book Reviews and Giveaways

Author Inger Iversen

Liana Gardner

Krysten Lindsay Hager author

Cynthia Luhrs Author

Bound 4 Escape

Glistering: B's Blog

Danielle Thorne Author of Classic Romance

BloominThyme Organic Gardening & Fresh Recipes

Author Felicia Starr

Christy's Cozy Corners

Rachelle J. Christensen

Wendi Sotis, Author

Cool Cat Mysteries

B. Kristin McMichael

Confessions of a Frugal Mind

Hooked To Books

Rolling with the Moments

The Late Bloomer's Book Blog

AuggieTalk

Giveaway Details

Ends 11/15/17

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Let's Be Friends

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Farewell To Summer Giveaway

2017-09-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy September, Bibliogeeks!

My favorite time of year is fast approaching! (*throws orange and yellow confetti*) That means that Summer 2017 is nearly done and in a respectful farewell to summer-days until next year I opted in to help sponsor this awesome cash giveaway.

You can enter to win $250 to spend any way you'd like (but we all know you'll buy books, obviously). Just check out the Rafflecopter below for up to 47 entries.

Good luck, biblioloves!

Farewell to Summer Giveaway

September 1st to 22nd

Enter for your chance to win $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon Gift Card.

Sponsor List

Thanks to this fabulous group of bloggers and authors for sponsoring this giveaway!

I Am A Reader

Julie Coulter Bellon

Lori's Reading Corner

Krysten Lindsay Hager

Geybie's Book Blog

Heather Gray, Writer of Christian Romance

Glistering: B's Blog

S.T. Bende

Heather Boyd, Romance Author

Simply Sherryl

Laurie Treacy, author

Maureen's Musings

Carol Malone

Bound 4 Escape

The Late Bloomer's Book Blog

Christy's Cozy Corners

The Editing Hall

Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Love

BloominThyme Organic Gardening

Giveaway Details

a Rafflecopter giveaway

$250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card

Ends 9/22/17

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Let's Be Friends

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

#Pitchwars 2017!

2017-08-25T15:02:00.000-05:00

Well, hi there Biblionerds.

So,

Haven't heard for me in a while, hey? Yeah. I squirreled myself away from the blogging world for a bit to tackle my Manuscript for the ever phenomenal #PitchWars competition. There was laughter, tears, and some distant, unintelligible yelling but the revisions got finished just in time for the submission window earlier this month.

And a magical, wonderful, unbelievable thing happened.

I made it in.

I MADE IT IN.

I'm paired up with the oh-so-incredible E. Latimer who will be my mentor through the 2 month process of editing/revising my manuscript AGAIN for the agent round in November.

This is big, booklings.

My book, an MG portal Fantasy, is about to undergo yet another make-over. It'll be intense and crazy-fantastic.

Being the primary care-giver for my son and embarking on this terrifically epic new editing adventure with Pitch Wars means my time is tight.

I'd like to think I'll make a few updates here along the way, because the book community is why I'm even this far. You guys have been my people for YEARS and your encouragement has kept me tip tapping away on my keyboard. I'm not going to abandon ship, but I can't make promises about updating because, well, priorities. You know?

Seriously, find me on twitter. I'm there a lot, lurking in the shadows (not really, that would be too cool of me. I'm more the mingling around awkwardly looking for people to talk to without making anyone feel uncomfortable type. But, I own it).

I do still owe you guys some reviews from back in June - so I'm going to do my best to still make sure that happens, and I think I might have a few more to add to the pile.

Basically, just keep a lookout for updates (sign up for e-mail alerts and you'll know right away!). They'll be coming, but I can't tell you when-exactly because I'm kind of holding onto my life by the tail at the moment and am just going where it leads. It doesn't tell me things ahead of time usually, we just kind of arrive.

Looking forward to telling you all more about this awesome new adventure (and all the other awesome adventures I'm still on because I am the awesome adventurer who adventures awesomely)!

Let's Be Friends

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Auggie-Talk is Fixed!

2017-07-06T09:23:00.001-05:00

It's fixed!

Thanks for sticking with Auggie-Talk while we figured out the crazy blog glitch from last week! We're now back up and running thanks to the ever-so-incredible Bibbo (design website here), who hopped on the image hosting issue and sorted it all out!

Stay tuned! We've got some catching up to do!

Writing/Reading/Review Updates!

2017-06-26T17:57:00.004-05:00

Happy Monday, Biblionerds!

If you've been missing the book reviews here on Auggie-Talk, you're not the only one. *gestures enthusiastically to self* I have a long list of books I need to share with you, and I'm going to post that list here so you know what'll be coming up.

So, what else is new?

In the wild world of Auggie, there are a zillion wonderful and exciting things happening. Being a mum is, of course, the wildest and most wonderful. Next to that I'VE WRITTEN A BOOK.

It's true. I was there.

I know I mentioned my writing adventures before (sometime looooooong ago) and if you've been with me that long and actually remember it, have a cookie (and thank you, you're fantastic). These past several weeks have been exciting and full of new experiences . Particularly, querying.

#OnThePorch

More than anything, I feel extremely lucky to have discovered a very supportive and incredible writing group called On The Porch. If you're a writer, please go check them out on Twitter - #ontheporch. Tag me @Odrah so I can cover you in welcoming hugs. Or, if you're not about hugs, I can perhaps give you a curt nod.

#PitchWars

Also, if you're a writer with a finished manuscript, I hope you've heard of #PitchWars. If not - oh geez, let me tell you... you need to go check this out. Go to Brenda Drake's website and read up on what Pitch Wars is all about and seriously consider participating. Linked above!

#MenteesHelpingMentees

Ok ok ok and if you decide that #PitchWars sounds awesome and you're thinking about joining then you ABSOLUTELY need to look into #menteeshelpingmentees. They have a giveaway going on this week. I've linked it above. Check it out and enter to win a critique that'll help you feel all that more confident about your entry for Pitch Wars

So there's all of that good and wonderful mess. I hope you'll connect with me on Twitter so we can talk about books/reading/writing things!

Now I'll give you quick rundown of all the books I need to catch up and review!

Reviews To Come

(Click the book cover to see its Goodreads page!)

See you next post and Happy Reading/Writing!

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Check Out My Reviews Of:

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Series I've Been Meaning To Start

2017-06-20T09:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday, Biblionerds!

Fasten your bibliohelmets and get ready for:

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

This week's topic is:

Ten Series I've Been Meaning To Start

(Click the Cover Image to visit the title's Goodreads page)

"An Enchantment of Ravens" by Margaret Rogerson - September 26, 2017 - The synopsis of the work is so compelling and beautifully written. I really can't wait to get my hands on this one.

"That Inevitable Victorian Thing" by E.K. Johnston - October 3, 2017 - Alternative History centered around a young princess-to-be-queen who is looking for a way to make her own mark. Also, the genetic matching concept sounds fascinating.

"The Ship Of The Dead" by Rick Riordan - October 3, 2017 - It's Rick Riordan. It's Norse Mythology reimagined. It's Rick Riordan.

"Beasts Made Of Night" by Tochi Onyebuchi- October 31, 2017- This one sounds intense and powerful.

"Wild Beauty" by Anna Marie McLemore- October 3, 2017 - "Stunning exploration of love, loss, and family". Sign me up!

"The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street" Lindsay Currie - October 10, 2017 - If it's a creepstastic MG ghost story, you already know I'm freaking out over it.

"The Glass Town Game" by Catberynne M. Valente -September 5, 2017 A Fantasy based off the very wonderful and tragic lives of the Bronte siblings. I'm excited about this but also nervous that the ending will be heartbreaking.

"Wicked Like a Wildfire" by Lana Popovic- August 15, 2017 - Wicked curses, magic, and sisterhood. *breathes in the awesome*

"The Library of Fates" by Aditi Khorana - July 18, 2017 - All I needed to read was " For Fans of 'The Wrath and the Dawn". *throws enthusiastically onto TBR pile*

"A Skinful of Shadows" by Frances Hardinge - October 10, 2017 - A "Dark YA Historical Fantasy" is only about the most perfect type of book to be reading during October. Skinful of Shadows = Ghost Possession all over the place.

What are you looking forward to in 2017 2.0?

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Check Out My Reviews Of:

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books For 2017 Part 2

2017-06-13T12:05:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday, Biblionerds!

Fasten your bibliohelmets and get ready for:

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

I'm backtracking and doing a former TTT for this week! Because I wanted to look at all of these beautiful covers and wallow in my giddy excitement for these upcoming releases again.

Ten Anticipated Books For 2017 Part 2

(Click the Cover Image to visit the title's Goodreads page)

What are you looking forward to in 2017 2.0?

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Check Out My Reviews Of:

What Book Blogging Means To Me

2017-05-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday, Booklovers!

A year ago I wrote a post about what Book Blogging means to me, why it's important, and why I keep at it even when my life gets hectic (and boy does being a mama make things beautifully hectic). I'm reblogging this today in celebration of these feelings, which are still strong, and this community, which is still amazing.

I discovered upon actually getting started on this post, that it's a little difficult to express my feelings about this community. More difficult than I anticipated, at least.

Normally, I'm all about bubbling and overflowing with absolute love for the people who make up the International Internet Society of Booklovers (that's us, btw. You and me. As well as thousands of others.)

I've been seeing the effects of some of the drama that's been going on inside (and alongside) our community lately and I'm hit with sheer horendousness of the idea that people are quitting because they can't find a reason to fight the negativity anymore. Something took the helium out of their blogging balloon and no matter how hard we hold on and scream "NO NO NO NO NO DON'T GO!" they eventually stop posting and commenting and sharing and the community is a little darker without them.

With all of this going on (not just recently, but even in the past 4 years I've been book blogging) I've had to consider WHY I'm blogging. Why do I do it? Why do I fight through the insidious slumps and soul crushing writers block? Why do I keep picking up books to read even after the last 5 have been unenjoyable? Why do I keep posting in the times when the interwebz is silent and no one seems to be listening?

Here are a few reasons - and I personally think they're darn good ones.

Sharing the Passion

It's unfreaking believable, and I love it, and I love the people who feel it too.

It's not a race. For me, it's not about who has the most followers (though followers are awesome, we all admit it) or the most likes or posts. It's not about who has the cutest blog design or the best lighting and video camera quality.

It's about books. It's about what books mean to me and connecting with others who feel the same sort of unbelievable giddiness about these text filled pages that are magic and maddness and glory and grief. Superficial engagements on social media feel boring and take away some of the pleasure. The follow for follow trend is frustrating because it's meaningless interaction. Now, I DO like the comment for comment idea, because encouraging engagement with others is never a bad thing... until your comments start being 3 words long.

Not that any type of quick uplifting tweet sent to someone doesn't do something to brighten their day, but I'm after the CONVERSATION. I want the feelings and the emotions and the LOVE. I want to see the WORDS!

Books make us feel this unbelievable and undeniable emotion, one that doesn't even have its own assigned vocabulary. It's a jumble of things all together at once that make us wonder if THIS is what magic really is.

It's unfreaking believable, and I love it, and I love the people who feel it too. Those are the people I follow and read and wish desperately lived closer so we could have tea and talk endlessly about literature.

These people, those interactions, sharing that passion... I blog for that.

Living The Magic

We have this incredible ability to sort of read the magic out of books, and it spreads out into the world and does some tremendously awesome things.

Most of us don't live in a cozy cottage in the middle of the woods, calling dragons to our aide, going on crazy adventures, fighting in extraordinary and important battles, and falling in love with gods and demons and fallen angels (Though these are some of my life goals).

Books are our time machines, our alternate dimension portals, our Mirrors of Erised, our rabbit holes. We live and dream and thrive in the pages and that translates out into our REAL LIVES. You don't think books have a lasting effect on you? I know books have one on me. I carry a good read with me through the day, ponder it, and live it in other ways once the reading part is actually over.

We have this incredible ability to sort of read the magic out of books, and it spreads out into the world and does some tremendously awesome (though sometimes terrible) things. Power. Books are serious power, and as readers we're the wielders of it.

Doesn't that just make you vibrate from head to toe? It does me, and If I can't share it then it feels like I'm going to combust. I blog (and write in general) so I won't.

Battling the Negativity

I put on my armour and smack the crap out of the volleys of negativity that sometimes bombard me because it's important to me, this blogging thing.

Authors. Authors are our loves. They're the pen wielders, the world builders, the emotion elicitors. They're the main reason we're in this game and we love to share with them and support them.

But sometimes - sometimes we forget something really important. Authors are human beings. Many of them are human beings who are trying to make a living doing something they love in a world where that's increasingly difficult. They get cranky, they get demanding, and sometimes they get plain mean.

Book Bloggers, I implore you, let it go.

I've seen a lot of negativity circulating in our community recently - many people feel that blogging is becoming a thankless job where authors expect miracles, undivided attention, 5 star reviews, and extraordinary turnaround times.

WE KNOW that this is silly. THEY KNOW it's silly. But back to my previous point - they're human and so are you. Learn to take it in stride. We are taking the behaviors and cranky diatribes of a few much too seriously and it's sucking the fun right out of what we're doing.

But I fight it. I fight it because it's essential for me to do it. I put on my armour and smack the crap out of the volleys of negativity that sometimes bombard me because this is important to me, this blogging thing. I'm not about to lose the battle because I let the drama get to me. Part of fighting it though is letting it slide. Ignoring it and letting the imaginary skirmish rage around me without actually participating.

Remember: For every author that looks at you like a disposable pawn in the marketing game there is another who is loving you with the power of an adrenaline soaked Hercules. Appreciate these authors, ignore the others. The authors who can't at least TRY to appreciate you are authors that don't deserve your assistance.

And to be honest, it works the other way around too. Book Bloggers who are in it only for the freebies, for the attention, and for the prestige (IS there prestige in book blogging? You get what I mean) and use authors as a step stool to gain these things should expect to be looked at askance and eventually avoided.

Don't charge for reviews, don't sell ARC copies (seriously, I get that we become overstocked, but there are lots of ways to get rid of ARC book copies without making money), and don't treat authors like they're only there to provide you with content.

We're not all going to get along 100% of the time. Stand up for yourself when it counts but be civil and try to keep your phaser settings on STUN. Fight it when you feel like it's important - but try to keep the overall experience enjoyable.

This is fun. Fun fun fun! I blog because it is. I fight the negativity to show others that it's possible and to prove to myself that I'm strong enough to keep doing what I love despite the meanies.

Being Myself

I've made some lovely friends in the community, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Not for a million followers and a trillion comments and likes.

Ooooooh, this was hard. This was SO HARD in the beginning. I wanted to be like THIS BLOG and THIS BLOG and OH MY GOD LOOK AT THAT BLOG! It became overwhelming and tedious to try to keep up with trends. When I started falling back on my own talents, when I found my own voice, Heck... that's when it became FUN.

I read the books I want, talk about the things I want, and participate in the memes I want. When I see bloggers commenting on HUNDREDS of other blog I applaud them and stand in awe at their social abilities but recognize that this is not required of me. It isn't required of you either.

Read the blogs you like. Comment on the posts you like. Interact with the PEOPLE you like. The rest will fall into place, and when it's fun... it's completely worth it. It also translates, btw. When a blogger is sincere about their enthusiasm you can feel it. It's weird. Like a spidey sense.

I've made some lovely friends in the community, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Not for a million followers and a trillion comments and likes. Not to say that I don't LIKE and APPRECIATE followers and comments and likes (I'm not gonna straight up lie about it, geez. Everyone likes to know that people enjoy what they're doing), I just don't depend on them to be the sole provider of my book blogging joy.

And what about the silent readers? The readers that keep coming back but never say anything? I appreciate them too. Though I have zero idea who they are, I know they're there. I see them in my numbers and I love them tremendously.

Sharing a bit of myself with the world, carving out my own little cubby hole (one with a freaking fantastic view) in the tree of life. That's why I blog.

No matter what your reasons are - they can be different from mine, it certainly doesn't make them wrong - if you're loving it, and you're owning it, then you're doing a darn good job and I hope you continue to help make this community unbelievable and beautiful.

I love you from the bottom of my bookish heart and I thank each and every one of you for being a part of this fantabulous world of book blogging.

Keep Reading, Keep Blogging!

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Review: "Eleanor and Park" by Rainbow Rowell

2017-05-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday, Bibliophiles!

I continue to scold myself for not getting a hold of this author's books sooner, even though everyone was raving about them. This one in particular was a turly enjoyable read.

~ Enjoy ~

Title: Eleanor and Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication: February 26, 2013
Pages: 328

Synopsis:
Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

I can't believe I waited so long to read this. I'm not sure what I was expecting... something a little more cotton candy than this, but I'm glad it was as honest and bittersweet as it was.

Rainbow Rowell is very honest about her characters and their struggles/desires/victories. Relationships are already hard, but when you're just beginning to navigate them in a world where you have limited power over your decisions and circumstances it's a battlefield of emotions and angst. Being a teen is hard. Being a teen in love is hard. Throw in trying to come to terms with who you are as a person while dealing with an INCREDIBLY difficult family life and you've got a recipe for absolute hell - but it's the kind you want battle through, to get through, with someone.

"Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through hell with you" - I didn't hear this song until after I'd read Eleanor and Park, but it seems like the right kind of song for them both who want so badly to just be in love without all of the mess that's coming at them from all sides.

I didn't really date in high school and I never did fall in "love" with anyone until much later in life but I count myself lucky because, seriously, the crushes were bad enough. Rowell's timid and passionate relationship between two like souls who live in very different worlds is the kind of story we naturally want to hear (love conquers all), but she delivers it in a way that's keeping us emotionally tied up. We have no more idea what will happen than Eleanor and Park do. We're in this with them, but have no idea what the end looks like. This isn't a fairytale. It's not a formulaic romance novel. It's life. It's messy and difficult and for some people it's down right dangerous... but still, we love. Desperately, hopefully, purposefully.

It's a sort of anthem to life.

A bit gritty and dark, but full of life and hope too... from both sides. I definitely appreciated that the end was a happy one, because I don't know how I would have bounced back from this book if it had closed in sadness or with a sense of profound emptiness where nothing was resolved and everything just ended. The somewhat open ended leave off was comforting - they have a chance. Despite everything, they have a chance and that's all they need. They may not end up together forever, first love rarely ends that way, but at least they get the gift of that opportunity. It closed up everything with a bit of a "Happily Ever After" sort of tone.

Charming, harrowing, funny, honest, intelligent, and full of hope. I really enjoyed this one.

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Review: "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman

2017-05-04T12:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday, Booklovers!

Just in case I haven't shouted it from the rooftops loud enough and long enough (an absurd number of times) then let me reiterate... I adore Neil Gaiman. Adults books, children's books. If he wrote it, just hand it over. Coraline especially has a special place in my bookish heart because it was the first book I ever read by this talented author. I'm anxiously anticipating the day Boop is old enough to appreciate the story. Until then, I'll just read it out loud to him for practice!

Title: Coraline
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Middlegrade Fantasy
Publication: August 4, 2002
Pages: 208

Summary:

There is something strange about Coraline's new home. It's not the mist, or the cat that always seems to be watching her, nor the signs of danger that Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, her new neighbours, read in the tea leaves. It's the other house - the one behind the old door in the drawing room. Another mother and father with black-button eyes and papery skin are waiting for Coraline to join them there. And they want her to stay with them. For ever. She knows that if she ventures through that door, she may never come back.

Most definitely one of the most fascinating, creepy, and enjoyable books I've ever read. For people who enjoy existing in that foggy, dark, spooky realm that exists on the border of child-fantasy and adult-horror this book is for you. I NEED more books like this. This book would have been my #1 favorite as a child and it's darn near close to being it now.

Neil Gaiman is a genius when it comes to appealing to both his young and older audience. To a child, Coraline is a spine tingly yet fun adventure full of wonder, curiosities, and a pretty understandable moral. To adults the story is macabre at its most innocent and horrifying at its weirdest (having buttons sewed into your eyes, a human being made of rats, two ancient acrobats who take off their skin and then...I don't know... recuperate? In a slimy cocoon. Dead children in the closet. Oh yeah, then there's that "I'm your mom... but not really" lady who is actually some kind of weird demon that lives off of the souls of those before mentioned dead children in the closet.)

Thankfully I tend to enjoy books like this a little more the way that children do. To me it's just a good, fun, quirky-and-yet-slightly-disturbing tale of discovering what's truly important to you and being careful what you wish for.

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Things That Will Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book,

2017-04-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday, Biblionerds!

Fasten your bibliohelmets and get ready for:

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

This week's top ten topic is:

Ten Things That Will Make Me Instantly Want To Read a Book

Examples of books that I've picked up with nary a second thought:

(Click the Cover Image to visit the title's Goodreads page)

Favorite Author- This one should be pretty obvious! If it's a favorite author of mine, then I'll definitely be picking up the book.

The Next Book In A Beloved Series- Another obvious one. If it's a series that I've been really loving, as soon as the newest book hits the shelf I'm all over it.

Paranormal Historical Fiction - Set in the Victorian era with ghosts, mediums, or other supernatural creatures running amok? Take my money!

Mythology - Is it a reimagining of a particular mythology or folklore that I love? Yes, please.

Paranormal Cozy Mysteries- Ok, so this is one of my weaknesses. I love quirky mysteries with paranormal/supernatural aspects of some kind. If it's set in a Victorian Mansion that was turned into some kind of business, that's a plus too.

Fairytale Retelling- Is it a retelling of a favorite fairytale of mine? I'm probably going to buy it with about 0% hesitation.

Pretty New Edition Of An Old Favorite- 10th anniversary edition with cloth bound cover of a particular favorite? SOLD! Special edition with author notes of a childhood classic? BOUGHT!

Short Story Compilations or Novelizations of Favorite TV Shows/Movies - Dr. Who and Supernatural short stories anyone? Labyrinth Novelization? Fun new Beauty and the Beast book based off of the most recent film? Ah, yes, I see that you know exactly how to get me to spend money.

A Flipping Amazing Synopsis- If the synopsis is good enough, then it doesn't matter if the cover is hideous or the premise isn't exactly what I would normally lean towards. That precious precious book is coming home with me.

It's So Beautiful I Might Cry -If the cover is perfect enough, I'll buy the book DESPITE a synopsis that I'm not 100% on. Because, hey, if I end up not liking the book at least it will look beautiful in my bookcase.

What Makes You Instantly Interested In A Book?

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Check Out My Reviews Of:

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Unique Books I've Read

2017-04-11T16:21:00.003-05:00

Happy Tuesday, Biblionerds!

Fasten your bibliohelmets and get ready for:

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

This week's top ten topic is:

Ten Unique Books I've Read

(Click the Cover Image to visit the title's Goodreads page)

"The Game" by Diana Wynne Jones - For this wild romp of a Juvenile Fiction, Ms. Jones draws from Classical Mythology, explaining myth with a twist by turning all the stories you know into part of a magical children's game.

"The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman - Complete with vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and a host of other supernatural creatures who are really just trying to live their best after-lives while keeping a young orphaned boy who lives in a local cemetery safe from a bunch of really cranky villains.

"Coraline" by Neil Gaiman - Fantastically creepy for children and horrifyingly bizarre for adults. Alternate dimensions, talking cats, circus mice, kidnapping, bat-dogs, and an "other-mother" who could really use a spa day.

"Abarat" by Clive Barker - Worlds that reflect every hour of the day, a truly terrifying villain that is all kinds of "Nope", a drove of odd and eccentric characters to keep Candy Quakenbush (can we just stop for a moment and appreciate that name?) on her toes while she tries to save Abarat from all sorts of evil nonsense.

"Courtney Crumrin" by Ted Naifeh- Dark, fun, and amusing. Reimagining of some of those well-known boogeymen from the scary stories of sleepovers and camp outs. Courtney Crumrin is awesome - even if her last name is hard to say.

"Dead Until Dark" Charlaine Harris- Main character has a vivacious personality and, dun dun dun, she can read minds. Not her choice. There are plenty of vampire/supernatural books out there these days, but very few of them are as original as the Sookie Stackhouse series. Charlaine Harris takes extreme care in researching the topics she's writing about so everything seems a little less made-up and a little more rooted in possible reality.

"Illusionarium" by Heather Dixon - Includes explosions, a seemingly incurable disease, dimension hopping, hallucinogenic drug usage (just go with me on that one), insane mutant drug addicts, and a legitimately loony girl in a pretty dress. It also had all of the steampunk elements that gives it it's fantastical feel: Cities in the sky, airships, steam technology, and of course... fancy outfits.

"Enchanted" by Alethea Kontis- Ever wonder where fairytales come from? Creative, intelligent, and wacky, weaving together favorite fairytales of childhood into one big "This probably could have happened, almost certainly" origin story.

"A Snicker Of Magic" Natalie Lloyd -Filled with fun made up words, behind the scenes magic, awesome ice cream flavors that you've never heard of (but would really like to try), and MEANING. LOTS OF MEANING.

"Nightmares!" Jason Segel & Kristen Miller -When nightmares are just trying to do their jobs (all while dreaming of retirement.)

What unique reads have left you squealing with glee?

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Check Out My Reviews Of:

Top Ten Tuesday: 8 Of My Favorite Fandoms

2017-04-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday, Biblionerds!

I know that it's "Top Ten" but I couldn't think of ten for this one, so you get eight. That is so close to ten. Fasten your bibliohelmets and get ready for:

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

This week's top ten topic is:

8 Of My Favorite Fandoms

Studio Ghibli- "My Neighbor Totoro" was my first Ghibli film. I was a pretty young kid and it was a VHS tape (yes, VHS) that I looked for every time we went to rent a video at the video store near our home. I had no idea that it was a "Ghibli" film then or that it was Japanimation. It was just a really cool and fun movie that I loved. I rediscovered it as a teen along with so many of the other Ghibli films I had missed. And then "Howl's Moving Castle" released via Disney and my heart was won.

The style, the music, the stories... *makes a happy noise* I think one of the things I love most about Ghibli, is that my little brother shared my love for those stories. We watched "My Neighbor Totoro" together growing and later his favorite became "Spirited Away". Whenever I watch one of Ghibli's films I feel close to my brother, who I miss dearly.

Harry Potter -You had to know this one was going to make the list. Harry Potter was with me from the time I was 12 years old until, well, now! That's a solid 18 years. I still love collecting memorabilia and Harry Potter "swag". Now that "Fantastic Beasts" is out, I get to keep on enjoying the very living culture that is J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter Universe. Pottermore, anyone? Yep, love that too.

I've got my Ravenclaw robes and my Head Girl pin, my scarf and my socks and the Funko and the blanket and the stationary and I could just KEEP GOING I LOVE IT SO MUCH. *deep breath* Okay.

Disney - DUH! I've been singing Disney songs since I was old enough to squeak. In the car, in the house, musical auditions. Disney World is one of my super happy places, and Beauty and The Beast is my favorite Disney movie, followed very closely by Brave (if you count it) and The Princess and the Frog.

I just have to say that I super respect Maleficent mostly because her dragon form has managed to haunt my nightmares since I was 5. I STILL have nightmares about that dragon. But now as an adult I appreciate how cool it is. SO COOL. *wears Maleficent Mickey ears*

Also, I think that "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" has some really underappreciated musical numbers. "Bells of Notre Dame" and "Out There" are both PHENOMENAL.

Oh, and wait, you CAN NOT forget "Hocus Pocus"! I just have to say that... *keeps on keeping on about Disney until the last star in the last universe pitters out* Oh. Am I talking too much about this?

Doctor Who - I didn't want to like Doctor Who. I resisted it for so very long. When finally I was super bored and out of things to watch I decided to see what all the hubub was about. First episode (of the reboot)... ridiculous. Didn't like it. Second episode? Just as ridiculous. Geez, what's up with the horrible special effects? Third episode... Oh, wait. I kind of like that. Fourth episode... OH MY GAWD. CALL ME A BELIEVER BECAUSE I LOVE THIS MESS!

Every time a new Doctor would be cast I would complain and whine. "I'm going to stop watching, I'll never love this Doctor as much as the last one." Cue the fangirling over every...single... Doctor. I love them all and I really hope the next one will be a lady so I can, you know, pretend it's me.

Sherlock - This one is preeeety straight forward. I've always been a light fan of the Sherlock stories and all of the various retellings that turned Sherlock into the iconic man he is now but "Sherlock" with Benedict Cumberbatch, hit a homerun with me. I love modern reimaginings and this one was level 100.

Once Upon a Time-Oh come on. Did you not read my Disney Fandom explanation up there? All my favorites, all the Heroes and the Villains and their stories all TIED TOGETHER. UNG. It's so yes.

Supernatural - This is another one that I share with my brothers. When those two were together it was Sam and Dean. I was the weird sister piece that didn't quite fit in, but I didn't even care because I loved it and they loved it and we all loved it together. My big bro and I still watch it and will for as long as those writers decide to keep it going.

Tim Burton- Edward Scissorhands and Nightmare Before Christmas were my first introduction to Tim Burton. I can't remember which one I watched first, but I think that "Nightmare Before Christmas" had the first impact on me. I was about 7 years old when it released and I watched it pretty close to around that time. I LOVED CREEPY STUFF! Still do (creepy, not scary. Difference). The idea that these scary creatures were actually just kind of chill, fun loving, trying-to-live-their-afterlife type of people was novel to my child-self.

Edward Scissorhands was a favorite because it was so whimsical, and the music was great, and Johnny Depp wasn't too bad looking and, yes, I was aware of that kind of thing at that age.

The eccentric, peculiar, magical and slightly macabre (or very, depending on which movie we're talking about here) characteristics of many of Burton's films keep me coming back.

What Fandoms Do You Belong To?

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Check Out My Reviews Of:

Books That Changed Me

2017-04-02T13:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday, Biblionerds!

Spring is here! I'm deliriously overjoyed that this past winter is behind us. Now the outdoors are no longer off limits and I can begin introducing my son to the wonderful world of sunshine and flora. My spirits are definitely lifted! Projects that I've been working hard on all Fall/Winter are nearly completed and the future looks particularly bright. Yes, it does!

I thought that I'd share a post that's a little bit more on the personal side, just for some variety. I've been thinking so much about books that I'm going to share with Boop as he grows and I wonder about which books it will be that enthrall him the most. Considering this had me mulling over my own favorites, my own literary experiences that meant the most to me or had the most impact. I thought I'd put together a bit of a list and share some of them with you all.

This list is most certainly not an exhaustive one, because there have been several books that have reached me somewhere deep inside and left a shining little star there. In particular, I'm going to be mentioning books that turned my world deliciously (and sometimes frighteningly) upside down and inside out.

Childhood

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry - I read this book in the 7th grade - just before I turned 13. It was required reading in our English class and it stayed with me for years. For always, really. I read it again as an adult and had a completely different experience (though, just as impacting a one). As a young reader I was hit by the idea that there could ever be a world where people were happy being the SAME. I also couldn't fathom a place where it was okay to MURDER BABIES. The idea of giving over memories, of sharing stories, and passing on history to future generations struck me as important and incredibly romantic. I never stopped believing in that ideal - that sharing stories, the past, is part of what makes our "now" so colorful.

"Matilda" by Roald Dahl- I was the shy girl who didn't interact with other kids at recess because I was too busy READING. I got teased all over the place about it. It got to the point that, by middle school, I didn't even WANT to be around other kids during recess so I took up helping out in the school library. I would even occasionally get in trouble in class for having a book out during lessons.

So imagine my instant adoration of Matilda, a character who not only reads voraciously but also has these amazing POWERS! Do you know how many times I tried to move things with my mind after reading that book? I'd just stare at something for a loooong time and demand it to move. Nothing ever did, of course, but it was always fun.

"A Wrinkle In Time" by Madeleine L'Engle- I can't remember my exact age reading this, but I wasn't a teen yet. I was floored by the dimension traveling, the magical Ms. Whatsit, the brave girl who thinks she's not brave, not pretty, not smart, who ends up being the heroine in the end. As a girl I felt plain and boring, so reading about heroines who felt the same but absolutely were NOT was a balm to me. This is another book that I read again as an adult and it was just as magical as the first time. This will always be one of my favorites.

"Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling- I was in 6th grade when the first book released in the states. My homeroom teacher, Ms. Jones, read it to us in the 15 minute break between last class and end bell. She did all the voices. Ms. Jones was an impressively tall, very slender woman with long black hair that hung straight down her back. She wore large round glasses with lenses thick enough to distort her eyes. She looked like a character from one of Roald Dahl's books. She was my favorite.

Summer came before she could finish the book and I couldn't stand it so I had my mother rush me immediately to the bookstore where I purchased my copy of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". I read it in a day. My world was full of stars and magic after that and I was completely and entirely obsessed with magical stories from then on out.

Teenagedom

"The Princess Bride" by William Goldman - I received a copy of this book on Christmas when I was 13. I read it that summer and I'll never ever forget it. I had a new writing desk and I was obsessed with spraying "White Fantasy Musk" everywhere. My summer was spent daydreaming about sword fights, adventures, and true love. This is one of the books that turned me into a Fantasy nut.

I still love that story and the smell of White Fantasy Musk. I am a proud member of the Princess Bride fanclub! "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya..."

"The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck - In high school I was always looking for something new and fascinating to read, especially if it was set in a culture that was entirely different from my own. It was an adventure diving into books that offered me an opportunity to experience something outside of my everyday life. The Good Earth was a book that shook up my reality. It was really the first "literary" fiction I'd ever read that I fell in love with and it's the only book to date that I've ever read more than three times.

It saved my grade in a college level Chinese History course when I did poorly on a HUGE exam because I had been very ill and missed several classes leading up to the test. There was a very strict policy regarding make-ups and I had to take the exam on the date even though I was still not well. The professor was especially kind and allowed me to write a critical/analytical essay on a Chinese Historical Fiction of my choice to offset the poor grade. I was so grateful and actually had a really enjoyable time writing the essay on "The Good Earth", which I was so passionately in love with at the time.

I read several other of Pearl S. Buck's works but none of them stuck with me the way that "The Good Earth" has.

"The Iron Dragon's Daughter" by Michael Swanwick is really one of those books that will go down in my personal history as particularly infamous. My elder brother (who is 9 years my senior) had it in his collection of fantasy books alongside authors such as McCaffrey and Lackey. It was one of my favorite things to do to sneak into his room while he was away in the Navy and rummage through his book collection.

I was ravenous for books with dragons, and this book seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. I was much too young for this particular bit of literature. It's hypersexuality was not only over my head, but extremely confusing for me. I was barely a teenager at the time. It was definitely disruptive to my otherwise innocent world view and I was too shocked to talk about it with anyone else.

As an adult woman I can look back and see how that book managed to shape me, even if its impact was mostly negative at the time, and I appreciate the experience.

Adulthood

"Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones. What a glorious, wonderful, incredible reading experience that was for me. I was not introduced to Diana Wynne Jones until I was about 20 years old. Howl's Moving Castle (movie) was released in 2004, when I was a Junior in High School. Instant love. That movie was my soul for so long. I never even realized it was based off of a book by DWJ until I was in college. As soon as I discovered it was a movie adaptation I rushed to the bookstore.

This book, this incredibly beautiful work of literary ART, introduced me to Diana Wynne Jones. I was lucky in a way to come to know her work in my adult life, because by that point she had so many wonderful stories already available and I was never stuck in the breathless agony of waiting for the next publication date. I became a rabid DWJ reader. "Howl's Moving Castle" was everything I'd ever wanted in a book growing up. It's still everything I've always wanted in a book.

Today it is no longer my favorite book. That spot is taken by "Deep Secret" also by Diana Wynne Jones. But Howl's Moving Castle is a close and cozy second.

"Kafka On The Shore" by Haruki Murakami. Oh help me. This was the first book that I ever read by Murakami and it messed with me. I put this book down several times and vowed not to pick it up again, but my curiosity always won out and back I went until I'd finally read the entire thing. As I read the last page I remember thinking that, as uncomfortable as the book made me, I was enthralled. Completely caught up in Murakami's writing style and magical realism. Though "Kafka On The Shore" isn't my favorite Murakami book (that title is reserved for "A Wild Sheep Chase") it's got a solid spot on my "Books I Didn't Want To Like But Just Couldn't Help It" list.

As far as how this particular book changed me, I'd say that it was more of a doorway into books that were outside of my normal reading zone. "Adult" literature that wasn't epic fantasy or science fiction. The odd, meaningful, sticky works that addressed the world in a way I wasn't used to. Murakami is still a favorite.

"Coraline" by Neil Gaiman. Neil. Gaiman. My favorite living author. How dark and creepy and fantastically magical your children's books are. I enjoyed spooky things as a kid. "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark" was a favorite series of mine and I was constantly on the hunt for the gently macbre. "Coraline" didn't fall into my hands until I was an adult but it was love at first read and though I knew about Neil Gaiman at the time, I wasn't a dedicated reader until after "Coraline", which introduced me to "The Graveyard Book", which lead to "American Gods" and then on and on from there.

"Coraline" is that perfect balance of whimsical and ghoulish, the book that is pleasantly creepy for young readers and downright scary for adult ones. It's sitting on my "favorite reads" shelf awaiting the day when I take it down to read out loud to my son. I can't wait to go searching for hidden doorways into alternate realities together.

"Skinny Bitch"by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. Ah yes. The book that turned me vegetarian. No, I'm not joking. After reading this book back in 2011, I quit meat cold turkey (haha, a pun) and haven't looked back. To be honest, that's all I have to say about this particular read. I can't even remember what it was about the book, exactly, that finally had me taking the leap (one I had only partially considered before), but leap I did and I haven't looked back. Even though I don't have any glowing reviews or fantastic memories about this particular work, it most definitely changed my life and deserves a spot on this list to be sure.

There! Now you know a little bit more about me and my reading history. Would you like to share a book from your past that had an impact? I'd love to know it!

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume toomuch caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

"Fire and Hemlock" by Diana Wynne Jones

2017-03-23T14:14:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday, Booklovers!

This was the second Tam Lin retelling that I ever got my hands on (the first being "Queen of Spells" by Ipcar). Written by my favorite author and told in a very different and exhilarating perspective. I have so much love for Tam Lin retellings and am always on the lookout for new titles. Suggestions?

Enjoy!

Title: Fire and Hemlock
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Genre: YA Fantasy/Retelling
Published: May 1, 2002
Synopsis:

Polly has two sets of memories...

One is normal: school, home, friends. The other, stranger memories begin nine years ago, when she was ten and gate-crashed an odd funeral in the mansion near her grandmother's house. Polly's just beginning to recall the sometimes marvelous, sometimes frightening adventures she embarked on with Tom Lynn after that. And then she did something terrible, and everything changed.

But what did she do? Why can't she remember? Polly *must* uncover the secret, or her true love -- and perhaps Polly herself -- will be lost.

As I've stated many, many times before... Diana Wynne Jones is the Queen of my favorite Authors. I have never met one of her books that I didn't instantly fall in love with "Fire & Hemlock" is no different.

Firstly, I recommend any who are interested in the book to first get a hold of "The Ballad of Tam Lin" or the modern reworking "The Queen of Spells" by Dahlov Ipcar. There are multiple translations of "Tam Lin". Just Goodreads it and you'll come up with one that seems to fit you. It's a great legend.

Anyway, reading any of those works will give you a fun little insight to the curious circumstances that our main character is facing.

As usual, Ms. Jones has constructed a tantalizing world of curiosities and magic, but this time it's set in a more modern state where magical happenings are not necessarily common place. She introduces magic via a number of recalled memories that get progressively odder and odder as the story develops.

The mystery of the second memories span the majority of the work but never become dull or redundant. There is, of course, a romantic element to the story. What kind of "Tam Lin" retelling would it be without the romance?! I ask thee.

We get to see a love blossom from the very beginning, from "little girl crush" to "I'm a grown woman and I LOVE YOU LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE".

The story is set, or rather remembered, over a 7 year period from the main character's 11th year to her nearly 19th.

This offers a lot of opportunity for the reader to get to know our main character. You'll feel much involved in this mystery adventure about how an aspect of a hero is the love in their hearts and how the shape of love holds no one form and has the power to utterly and beautifully alter anything it touches (and also kick the living tar out of evil. This is an important point, as well.)

Love is the purest of magics in the end. This, to me, is the message that Ms. Jones delivers to her readers through the spectacular work "Fire and Hemlock".

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume toomuch caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Review: "Picture The Dead" by Adele Griffin

2017-03-08T18:01:00.000-06:00

Happy Wednesday, Booknerds!

You know me and my happy little addiction to creepy kids fiction!

Enjoy!

Title: Picture The Dead
Author: Adele Griffin
Genre: MG Historical/Paranormal
Published: May 1, 2010
Synopsis:

A ghost will find his way home.

Jennie Lovell's life is the very picture of love and loss. First she is orphaned and forced to live at the mercy of her stingy, indifferent relatives. Then her fiance falls on the battlefield, leaving her heartbroken and alone. Jennie struggles to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, but is haunted by a mysterious figure that refuses to let her bury the past.

This little gem is about a young woman during the civil war whose fiance/cousin, Will, is killed in battle. His brother comes home in his stead presenting a whole new kind of trouble for Jennie... she's no longer wanted in the household and she has nowhere else to go. Not to mention the ghost of Will and her brother Tobe haunt her frequently.

Will's spirit gets more and more hostile, especially as she becomes closer and closer to his brother.

If all of that isn't just fine and dandy, Jennie is faced with the possibility that her beloved Will wasn't such a rosy, happy man after all.

A great little twist ending will have most of you gasping, while other readers who figured it all out before the last chapter will just applaud the heroism of our young female lead.

I was very impressed with this book. It would have been a treasure without all of the illustrations, but the pictures bring so much color to the world of Jennie Lovell. The reader will find themselves lost in a battle of the heart, the swarm of a will to survive coupled with a determination to love. There's a lesson of life here, of looking before you leap, and of guarding your heart against the careless plans of others, and of always knowing your facts.

I would definitely recommend this to all of my readership, though perhaps not to ages any younger than 12 due to a bit of spicy romance.

Read On!

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume toomuch caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Review: "The Stone Child" by Dan Poblocki

2017-01-19T15:15:00.001-06:00

Happy Thursday, Booklovers!

I loved creepy books growing up. I still love them! That tingly tingle you get at the back of your neck when you've got your hands on a truly spooky read is exhilarating! Please enjoy the review and, if you love a good spine-tingling tale, go check out "The Stone Child" for yourself!

Title: The Stone Child
Author: Dan Poblocki
Genre: MG Paranormal
Published: August 25, 2009
Synopsis:

What if the monsters from your favorite horror books were real?

Eddie Fennicks has always been a loner, content to lose himself in a mystery novel by his favorite author, Nathaniel Olmstead. That’s why moving to the small town of Gatesweed becomes a dream come true when Eddie discovers that Olmstead lived there before mysteriously disappearing thirteen years ago. Even better, Eddie finds a handwritten, never-before-seen Nathaniel Olmstead book printed in code and befriends Harris, who’s as much an Olmsteady as he is. But then the frightening creatures of Olmstead’s books begin to show up in real life, and Eddie’s dream turns into a nightmare. Eddie, Harris, and their new friend, Maggie, must break Olmstead’s code, banish all gremlins and monster lake-dogs from the town of Gatesweed, and solve the mystery of the missing author, all before Eddie’s mom finished writing her own tale of terror and brings to life the scariest creature of all.

This book was... phenomenal.

Truly, I was so impressed with this work. Poblocki is, in my opinion, a master horror writer for young adults. He tells a fantastic story full of adventure, life lessons, and REALLY FRIGHTENING moments that even kept ME up wondering what was creeping around in the shadows.

Okay okay... so I have an overactive imagination in general but regardless... he writes really creepy books!

Eddie, Harris, and Maggie are three REALLY BRAVE kids but they kind of have to be. It's either that or let the world be overrun by evil creatures from the dimension of darkness... and we're talking REALLY awful things. Forget all of the newfangled horror shows that you're familiar with... this is plain, good old-fashioned bump-in-the-night stuff that makes you keep your nightlight on.

Aside from all of the creepy stuff, we're looking at a book with a message here. Poblocki's books consider the bravery and multi-layers of the characters' young psyches. The dark side of human nature and the potential for darkness in all human beings are considered. The fight for what's right and good for everyone against all odds. Considering others before considering yourself.

This book reminds me of the saying "Bravery is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it." Young and old readers alike will enjoy this spine-tingling yet feel-good story about overcoming all of life's obstacles even when they seem too insurmountable to consider.

Technically speaking... Poblocki's writing style is engaging and forward moving. You're in the hands of a master story teller with this author and he makes it feel as though his tales are actually millennia old legends passed down through the generations of tale spinners.

The mystery aspect of this book is plenty suspenseful enough and there are moments when you actually figure out what's going on before the characters do and you're on the edge of your seat trying to warn them by talking through the pages. "No! Don't open that door! OMG YOU DID!"

Very talented author. Very great book.

I recommend this book for Adults and young readers who enjoy frightening stories, but probably not for young readers who are very easily spooked or who might be kept up all night. If your readers aren't likely to read a "SCARY STORIES" compilation then this book isn't for them. This isn't "Goosebumps fright" here, folks. You know, spooky with a twist of quirky. Poblobki's books are straight up creepy.

That being said....

Read Read Read!

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume toomuch caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Underrated/Hidden Gem Books

2017-01-17T00:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Tuesday, Biblionerds!

Fasten your bibliohelmets and get ready for:

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

This week's top ten topic is:

Ten Underrated/Hidden Gem Books

We're also going to call this one "Books I Love That Have Less Than 5k Ratings On Goodreads But Deserve Way More."

(Click the Cover Image to visit the title's Goodreads page)

"Dogsbody" by Diana Wynne Jones (MG) 4,938 Ratings - It almost didn't make the list because it's right on the cusp of having 5k reviews. But why it doesn't have a million is a mystery to me! I loved this book so much that I cried over it on a plane. Really. I was in a public place and I was bawling because it was just. that. good.

"Deep Secret" by Diana Wynne Jones (Adult) 4,688 Ratings - Is there someone out there who can explain to me why this book still isn't on EVERY BEST SELLER STAND IN EVERY BOOKSTORE? I loved this book so desperately. It is on the top of my "Favorites" list. That is to say that as of today, January 17, 2017... this book is still my absolute favorite book.

"A Madness So Discreet" by Mindy McGinnis (YA) 4,023 Ratings - This one was another spectacular read that I just hated to get to the end of. I wasn't ready for that last page! The Author has made no mention of turning this into a series, which isn't a bad thing. But darn! I recommend this one highly and think it deserves WAY more attention.

"Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things" by Ted Naifeh (YA) 3,808 - This series, in general, was a marvelous one. I kind of roared right through these because it was such an interesting and spooky story. I say spooky but might mean "terrifying"... but in that fun way that keeps you up reading through the wee hours of the morning.

"The Vespertine" by Saundra Mitchell (YA) 2,959 - This book was the end of my YA historical fiction dry spell. I was really struggling to find something in this genre that I really loved until "The Vespertine". After reading this book all of the sudden there were all of these really fantastic reads to be had! "The Vespertine" must have been some kind of magic door to the YA Historical Fiction universe. And yet not even 3,000 ratings? WHY?!

"Look For Me By Moonlight" Mary Downing Hahn (YA) 2,876 Ratings- I'm a fan of Mary Downing Hahn anyway, but I point to this book in particular when I talk about books of hers that I love. I get that the cover is a bit old school, but this one is still so enjoyable!

"Illusionarium" by Heather Dixon (YA) 1,837 Ratings - Now this one, this one I really am flabbergasted over. Barely 1,800 ratings?! This was one of the best reads of 2015 for me! Heather Dixon ROCKED this story. The Steampunk elements were spot on in my opinion and the story itself was dark and quirky enough to be especially memorable.

"Forbidden" by Eve Bunting (YA) 417 Ratings- This is one of those ones you kind of accidentally stumble across and it ends up being such a splendid experience. It a superb ghost story, just like the ones I used to love as a young girl. I thoroughly enjoyed this book but, unfortunately, it didn't get much overall attention.

"When My Heart Was Wicked" Tricia Stirling (YA) 409 Ratings- This one had mixed reviews, but I found it to be not only entertaining but also thought provoking. It was a very quick read, but that was part of the appeal. I'm surprised more people haven't gotten their hands on this one!

"The Queen of Spells" Dahlov Ipcar (YA) 29 Ratings - Now, this one is the odd one out. I found it by accident at a library book sale. It's a little on the obscure side and was published in the 70's. It's a whimsical retelling of "The Ballad of Tam Lin". This was my first experience with Tam Lin retellings, and while this isn't my favorite retelling it'll always have a place on my bookshelf. This is one of those books that you hope to find as a kid (or as an adult, no shame) while rummaging through old boxes looking for something interesting and magical. This was definitely one of those experiences for me.

What hidden gems do you want to share with the world?

Let's Be Friends!

Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving and the high likelihood that Hermione Granger is her spirit animal.

Check Out My Reviews Of:

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 2016 Books I Didn't Get To (But Will)

2017-01-10T00:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Tuesday, Biblionerds!

So far 2017 has been an absolute whirlwind! That works for me! Busy is best, yeah? Thanks to "Bout of Books" I got a few of my TBR 2017 reads out of the way and am making good headway on my yearly reading goal.

Today we're back to doing that ever-so-fun Top Ten Tuesdays. This week? 2016 reads I didn't quite get to, but still absolutely plan to read!

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

This week's top ten topic is:

Ten 2016 Books I Didn't Get To (But Will)

(Click the Cover Image to visit the title's Goodreads page)

"Heartless" by Marissa Meyer (YA) - I can't believe I didn't read this one in 2016! I bought it almost as soon as it was released and it sat sadly on my shelf for the rest of the year. Don't ask me why I didn't get to it, because I have absolutely zero clue. It's on the top of my list for books to read in 2017.

"A Taste for Monsters" by Matthew J. Kirby (YA)- Again, another one I bought as soon as it was available, but then just sat on it. To be fair, I did purchase the kindle version of this and then lost the charger to my kindle for what feels like months. That could be why. Now that my Kindle is back in action I plan on reading this ASAP.

"Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard" by Rick Riordan (MG) - Another beautiful one that's sitting on my bookshelf. After bibliobaby was born I sort of put aside all of the big reads and focused more on ones that I could easily get through and still enjoy without a lot of extra attention. I'm looking forward to getting into this one this year!

"The Evil Wizard Smallbone" by Delia Sherman (MG) - Why?! WHY HAVEN'T I READ THIS YET?! I honestly couldn't explain it to you because even I don't know the answer to that one.

"Enter a Glossy Web" by Mckenna Rhea Ruebush(MG) - This has been on my radar for SO LONG and it's one I keep coming back to. "I need to read that. I need to read that." Then I don't? Am I worried I'll love it too much?

"When The Moon Was ours" by Anna Marie Mclemore (MG)- In my defense, I didn't know about this one last year or I would have had it in my hands by this point. Now that I know it exists, I'll be reading it very shortly.

"The Secret Horses of Briar Hill" by Megan Shepherd (MG) - I loved stories like this as a little girl. This is just one of the ones that got passed up with all the other bigger titles coming out, which is a shame. I'm definitely going to give this one attention this year.

"Foxheart" by Claire Legrand (MG)-I've been seeing this on the shelves over and over. I didn't have a strong intention to read it necessarily, probably because it's one of those books that you look at and you KNOW you're going to read it eventually so you don't pick it up right away. Does that make any sense at all? Am I being sensical?

"A Most Magical Girl" Karen Foxlee (MG) - I love love loved Karen Foxlee's book "Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy". I only recently found out that she published "A Most Magical Girl" in October of last year. So now this one's on the list!

"The Secret of Deadwillow Carse" by Brian Farrery (MG) - Another of those ones that you pass up but then keep coming back to until you finally read it. This one certainly needs to be on my list this year.

What books from 2016 will you finally be reading this year?

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Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving and the high likelihood that Hermione Granger is her spirit animal.

Feature & Follow Friday: 2017 Highly Anticipated Releases

2017-01-06T11:41:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday, Booklovers!

Hosted by Allison Can Read and Parajunkee. Things have changed up a little, so now instead of answering a weekly question, there's a blog prompt!

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This Week's Prompt

What is your most anticipated book of 2017?

Holy yikes! That's definitely a tough one. There are a number of books that I've been looking forward to since 2016. There are two in particular that stand out, one for YA and one for MG.

YA

I'm very excited for the next installment of A Court of Thornes and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Currently, all we have is the title and synopsis. No cover yet, Nnnngggg! It'll definitely be worth the wait!

Synopsis: Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

MG

The incredibly whimsical concept of this book has me already on the edge of my seat, waiting for its July 2017 release date.

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Ruby Clyde Henderson’s life turns upside down the day her mother’s boyfriend holds up a convenience store, and her mother is wrongly imprisoned for assisting with the crime. Ruby and her pet pig, Bunny, find their way to her estranged Aunt Eleanor's home. Aunt Eleanor is a nun who lives on a peach orchard called Paradise, and had turned away from their family long ago. With a little patience, she and Ruby begin to get along―but Eleanor has secrets of her own, secrets that might mean more hard times for Ruby.

Ruby believes that she's the only one who can find a way to help heal her loved ones, save her mother, and bring her family back together again. But being in a family means that everyone has to work together to support each other, and being home doesn't always mean going back to where you came from.

What 2017 Releases are you looking forward to?

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Auggie is the 30 year old whirlwind owner of Auggie-Talk. A bibliobibuli by nature and a (potentially obsessive) lover of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman. Not so secrety secret: She's been known to consume too much caffeine leading to hyperactive rants about her heinous lack of shelving and the high likelihood that Hermione Granger is her spirit animal.

Auggie Talk

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