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These reviews will be abbreviated.  I’ll use the book synopsis from Goodreads or the publisher and then add my personal reactions and feelings to that. Tumblr will be faster I think.  I just have to upload 1 picture and I’m done. This is my plan to get back in the groove again. I’m considering just creating a link on this blog to the Tumblr post, but I’m still thinking about about that.

I hope you hang in there with me.

Thanks,

Today you are in for a treat.  In honor of the recent release of SHADOWS, the sequel to ASHES, the wonderfully talented Ilsa Bick is responding to a question I asked.  Here is my question:

Why do you lean toward such dark themes/characters in your books?

Here is her answer:

I’m often asked this question.  In part, I think you can blame the shrink in me, and my prior experience as a surgery intern.  I’ve seen and heard some wild stuff, and as a Freudian, you know, the glass is always half-empty.  (Talk about a grim guy.)  Let’s face it: no one goes to a psychiatrist because things are peachy.  So when you spend so much time with people who are coping with their inner demons and horrible impulses and, many times, treating people in simply abominable ways (and these are the people they say they love), then it’s easy to find and see the darkness and how things got to be so bad. 

I also think that being the daughter of a Holocaust survivor plays a role.  My dad’s family was wiped out, pretty much.  The Nazis came and got the whole family when he was a little kid; he even answered the door when they came knocking.  He spent a couple years in concentration camps, and the only reason he’s alive is because he got sick and was shipped out before the whole camp was dismantled and everyone else sent to Auschwitz.  Now, do I think about the Holocaust ever single second, or even believe that I should remind people about it?  No, I don’t.  There are plenty of new horrors to worry about and confront.  But does that color my world view a bit?  Sure.  Think of it as background music, barely audible, always there.

Then, too—frankly—conflict and adversity and inner darkness make for more interesting stories.  I never have been much of a wine and roses gal.  Even romance has to have angst—that dark moment of the soul, even the uncertainty of does he or doesn’t she—or why bother reading?  What fun would “Romeo and Juliet” be if the parents didn’t object?  Even Charlotte’s Web is all about scurrying to find a way to save poor Wilbur from becoming bacon.  To me, the muck is always much more interesting than eternal sunshine and happiness because, in fact, while life can be filled with many good things and this planet of ours is quite beautiful, life is also fragile, difficult, often cruel, capricious, and fleeting.  I’d like to think that out of their encounters with darkness, my characters eventually find their way to a state of grace.  Just takes some doing—and that “doing” is what I call story.

ASHES

SHADOWS 

If you haven’t already read ASHES, you need to ASAP. If you read it a while ago and forgot some of the details, here is a great recap post Ilsa posted to help you out. 

Thank you so much Ilsa!  I love all your books (DROWNING INSTINCTS, DRAW THE DARK), but The ASHES Trilogy is my favorite.

Source: Staples eReader Department

O Rly?

     How “realistic” does a kid’s novel—or any novel—have to be?  Or, rather, how un-realistic can it get away with being before the reader rebels, and thinks, “No”?

     The answer probably is: There is no answer.  Once we know something is a piece of fiction, we ask only that it pull us in and keep us there with whatever un-realistic creations, tricks, gimmicks, and craft the author can deliver.  When, for example, an author informs us that a blue elephant is playing the trombone, we don’t object to it on the grounds that such a thing seems highly improbable. 

In fact, we go to fiction precisely to be told about blue elephants playing trombones, because we so seldom encounter them in our daily life.   Fantasy, magic, invented creatures and places—when reading about such things, nobody cares about what’s realistic.  In fact, the entire category has no meaning.

     Still, even in fantasy, and especially in more, uh, realistic forms of fiction, there are hazards of plausibility that must be respected.  One concerns dialogue.  Now, no one expects, or wants, characters in a book to speak “the way people speak in real life.”  The way people speak in real life is an absolute nightmare when transferred to the printed page, as anyone knows who has read a court transcript or the logs of a hidden surveillance unit.

     A wide range of speaking styles is available to the writer of fiction, and no one minds how “unrealistic” any of them are, so long as the style chosen suits the setting and the story.  The beautifully-crafted sentences spoken by the characters in Jane Austen “sound” perfectly apt coming from them—and we take pleasure in reading them even though “nobody really talks that way today”—but they might sound offputtingly weird in a Raymond Chandler detective novel.  The snappy-but-limited verbal stylings of the Cat in the Hat are just perfect coming from him, but might not play so great as the conversational style of the kids in The Hunger Games.

     In the end, all we ask is that the dialogue not seem merely “written,” that the characters in the book not sound like characters in a book.  If, in fact, the dialogue is such that the reader doesn’t notice it, the writer has done his or her job.  If it strikes the reader as being unusually sharp, clever, or funny, all the better.

     Another issue of “realism”—one that particularly bugs me—we might call “basic logistics.”  In both The Templeton Twins Have an Idea, and in the second book of the series (The Templeton Twins Make a Scene, which I recently finished writing), I have had to deal with an issue of almost hilarious banality: How can the kids get from place to place?  They’re twelve or thirteen.  They don’t drive.  Unless they happen to live near where the action is—where their father works and where the bad guys live—I have to provide them with (plausible) transportation.

     In a sense, this is a pain in the neck.  I suppose I could have them ride bikes everywhere, but that strikes me as, you should pardon the expression, unrealistic.  But that’s my decision.  I’m pretty sure that if I did that—if I had John and Abigail ride bicycles every time their father wasn’t available to drive them, no matter how great the distances or how dangerous the roads–probably no one would complain.

     In fact, that would make for an interesting literary experiment: Tell a story in which characters simply appear at places where the story needs them to appear, without bothering to explain how they got there.  I honestly don’t know if the reader would notice or, if she or he did, would care.

     But (for now, at least) I’m not inclined to try that with the Twins.  Theirs is a series in which kids solve physical problems in fairly realistic ways.  And so, especially in Book II, I’ve had to depend on their nanny to drive them here and there.  This proved to be a blessing in disguise: having to grapple with that aspect of the plot prompted me to think of story points I would otherwise never have thought of. 

     Maybe, then, the question isn’t “how much realism does the reader require,” but, rather, “how much realism does the writer need to feel grounded and secure in the fictional world that’s being created?”  Every writer’s answer to that is different, and becomes part of his o r her distinctive style.

The Narrator

Ellis Weiner

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Here is a sneak peek at an illustration from the book.

BOOK DESCRIPTION FROM GOODREADS:

A high-stakes online game of dares turns deadly

When Vee is picked to be a player in NERVE, an anonymous game of dares broadcast live online, she discovers that the game knows her. They tempt her with prizes taken from her ThisIsMe page and team her up with the perfect boy, sizzling-hot Ian. At first it’s exhilarating–Vee and Ian’s fans cheer them on to riskier dares with higher stakes. But the game takes a twisted turn when they’re directed to a secret location with five other players for the Grand Prize round. Suddenly they’re playing all or nothing, with their lives on the line. Just how far will Vee go before she loses NERVE?

MY THOUGHTS:

NERVE is an thrill-a-minute. As a reader I totally felt the discomfort and nervousness Vee feels during the dares she decides to complete for the game. Introducing Ian as her dare partner is a stroke of genius because he just adds to the thrill, but in a much different way. What makes this book so good is the fact that everyone can relate. Who wouldn’t contemplate standing up in a crowded room and singing Mary Had a Little Lamb if they were going to win a brand new iPhone if they did it. The problem is, once you complete one dare it gets easier and easier to complete the next and the game is designed to get progressively harder. The ending is one that leaves you thinking about what really happens to Vee. There are so many possibilities.

OTHER BOOKS IT REMINDS ME OF:

DASH AND LILY’S BOOK OF DARES by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

FLASH POINT by Nancy Kress

Book Description from Goodreads:

When Jesse crawls out of the wreckage of a subway car and emerges into daylight, he’s greeted by a living nightmare. An unexplained force has destroyed New York City, turning skyscrapers into ash, cutting off all power and communication. Jesse and his new friends, Dave, Anna and Mini are dazed but unhurt. The other survivors are not so lucky. Every human being they encounter is infected, gripped by an unquenchable thirst that drives them to monstrous acts of violence.

Somehow, Jesse has to escape. But first, he has to stay alive.

My Thoughts:

As you can see from my rating, I thought is book was OKAY. It didn’t take long for me to read and I definitely wanted to finish once I started, but… At times the story was boring. Even though the kids in the story explored the building they decided to consider their Home Base we didn’t get to see a lot of what they did. It was just skimmed over. Basically, there was too much talking and not enough doing.

The ending is what really had me going, “Huh???” It might have worked better for me if the author had allowed a little more time at the end, but the way it is, the ending is just BAM BAM BAM.  After the rest of the book going DRIBBLE DRIBBLE DRIBBLE, the ending just didn’t match and left me feeling dissatisfied.

Other Books It Reminds Me Of:

THE RAFT by S.A. Bodeen (because of the ending)
THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers
THE ENEMY by Charlie Higson

Jessica’s top 5 favorite movies are: Sliding Doors; Love, Actually; Back to the Future; Office Space; and Toy Story.

Being America’s favorite heiress is a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.

Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteenth birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.

In a hilarious “comedy of heiress” about family, forgiveness, good intentions, and best of all, second chances, Lexi learns that love can be unconditional, money can be immaterial, and, regardless of age, everyone needs a little saving. And although she might have 52 reasons to hate her father, she only needs one reason to love him.

52 Reasons to Hate My Father Trailer

The Making of the 52 Reasons to Hate My Father Book Trailer

Enter to win the Complete Heiress Make-Over Contest

Want to win a copy of 52 Reasons To Hate My Father by Jessica Brody? Here is your chance.

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Anna Carey is sharing her 5 favorite things with us. In order for you to be eligible to win the prizes above, all you have to do is share 1 of your favorite things in EACH category in the comments below.  (US ONLY)

BOOKS

MOVIES

TV SHOW

SONG

ALBUM

Anna Carey’s Favorites

I just finished Rise, the third and final book in The Eve Trilogy. The greatest thing about ending one series and starting another is the time you have to relax, reflect, and take in all the culture you’ve missed while you’ve been writing away. Here are a few of my favorite books, movies, and music. Some are old favorites, others I’ve just discovered. All of them have served to inspire.

BOOKS

I can’t get enough survival stories. I’m a recovering I Shouldn’t be Alive addict, and as a teen I devoured books like Hatchet and Lord of the Flies. My more recent favorites are Life of Pi and Wild. There are so many rich, vivid descriptions in Life of Pi—the book has stuck with me in the seven or so years since I read it. I’m halfway through Wild, about a young woman hiking the Pacific Crest trail, and really enjoying it. She leaves for the trail after the death of her mother. Those passages describing her loss, and how her marriage came undone afterwards, are some of the most moving I’ve read.

MOVIES

I recently went to see The Hunger Games and The Avengers. I loved every minute of The Hunger Games. I was literally giddy watching all the added scenes with the Gamemakers creating the show. It was one of those rare instances where I enjoyed the movie as much as I did the book (in different ways, but still). The Avengers was another fun one…did anyone else tear up towards the end? Tony Stark! Noooooo!

TV SHOW

I’m obsessed with Mad Men. It’s rare to have a main character so impossible to predict. What will Don Draper do next? We’re never quite sure. I was also a huge Alias fan—no one does cliffhangers better. If you wanted to be Sydney Bristow too, you may want to check out Kyle XY. The show ran a few years ago for just three seasons—but those seasons (especially the first one) are fantastic. It has Alias-like mystery, adventure, and cliffhangers, but it follows kids in high school.

SONG

I’ve been listening to Walking on a Dream by Empire of the Sun for a few years now, and it still hasn’t gotten old. I can always count on it to rev me up (and provide the perfect soundtrack for car dancing). Sia’s Breathe Me is awesome for those more angsty moments. It’s the modern “Everybody Hurts”.

ALBUM

Lately The Big Black and Blue and The Lion’s Roar by First Aid Kit are always on. To put it simply, I just love their sound. The Swedish folk band consists of two sisters. They have the clearest, sweetest voices. I could listen to them all day long (and sometimes do).

What are your recent favorites? Is there anything I MUST check out before I disappear again into the ol’ writing cave?

Thank you Anna.

Now it’s your turn.  If you want to win both books and the iTunes giftcard then share your favorite things in the comments.  Please enter by Sunday, July 15th.

Welcome to Karin’s Book Nook.  Today it is my pleasure to host the Blog Tour for SHADOW AND BONE. Back in March I posted my review and as you can see, I enjoyed it immensely. I am so excited to have the author, Leigh Bardugo, guest posting on my blog today. Without further ado….

JUST WHAT DOES A KEFTA LOOK LIKE?

In Shadow and Bone, the Grisha, Ravka’s magical elite, wear a garment known as a kefta. The term and the design were inspired by the kaftans Russian men wore back in the day and, as someone who can’t resist the opportunity to talk clothes and costumes, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite images of vintage and modern kaftans.  

(Disclaimer: One thing you’ll notice if you do a google search on “kefta”? It’s also a Middle Eastern meat dish. I debated adding an “h”, but in the end I decided to keep things simple. But no, the Grisha aren’t rocking meat dresses a la Gaga. Given the number of bears and wolves in the woods of Ravka, that would be a most imprudent fashion choice.)

Let’s start with some of the historical inspiration for the kefta:

These are from the Kremlin Armory

An illustration by Ivan Bilibin

But they weren’t just for lounging around. Look at these uniforms warn by the feared Streltsi.

This photograph by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii from the early 1900s shows children at their lessons.

I suspect this is a costume and not a real uniform in this vintage photo

And finally, this isn’t technically a kaftan, but I loved the lines and embroidery of the wool coat on the left. It was worn by Peter II.

I always imagined the kefta as something between the long, traditional robe and a coat. The sleeve and hem would have to be kept at a reasonable length since the Grisha are soldiers of the Second Army and frequently called into combat. They would wear wool, fur-lined kefta, silks in the summer.

For the kefta worn at the Winter Fete (the event of the season at the Grand Palace), I was inspired by some of the elaborate modern kaftans being created by designers like Fatna Farkh.

And Ihssan Ghailan

The kefta is a uniform and a way that the Grisha set themselves apart, but I went to an all-girls school where we wore uniforms and we always found ways to make them our own. I figured the Grisha would do the same.

The one thing that wouldn’t change would be color: Red for Corporalki, Blue for Etherealki, and Purple for Materialki. The color of the embroidery at a Grisha’s sleeve and hem indicates his or her designation within the Order. And, of course, only one Grisha wears black.

To see more kefta inspiration and Tsarpunk style, visit my pinterest boards.

To learn more about the Grisha Orders and see the crests created for them by artist Adam F. Watkins, drop by the Paperback Dolls.

Thank you, Leigh.  I love all the pictures and your Pinterest boards.  I am already a follower.

As part of the Blog Tour I am able to offer you a chance to win a hardback copy of your very own.  Just complete the Rafflecopter tasks below before the end of the day on June 24th for your chance to win. Need to know a little more about the book?

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GFt5WLSk_c

Author website: http://www.leighbardugo.com/

Series Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/GrishaTrilogy

Leigh Bardugo on Tour for Fierce Reads: https://www.facebook.com/FierceReads/events

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Almost 20 years after publishing THE GIVER, Lois Lowry has finally written the ending to Jonas’ story.

SON is told in three parts, Before, Between, and Beyond, with a new main character. Claire, a girl a couple of years older than Jonas’, was assigned to be a Birthmother at the ceremony when she became a Twelve. She was disappointed, but not surprised since she didn’t excel in school. Claire becomes a Vessel not long after she arrives, but something goes wrong during the birthing process and the Product has to be surgically removed from her body. After a few days of recuperation she is reassigned to the Fish Hatchery – no longer able to be a Birthmother. At 15-years-old, Claire has nothing left in her life. Tedious routine is the only thing that occupies her days, until she decides to try and find her Product. The decision to track down her son sets the course for the rest of her life.

THE GIVER, GATHERING BLUE, and THE MESSENGER all come together in this final installment. Lowry does a great job taking us back to the world of THE GIVER, as well as creating a brand new setting.

A couple of days ago I didn’t even know this book existed. I’m so glad I was able to borrow a copy from a friend. This one is a one-sitting read folks so get ready!