Repost of Megan Whalen Turner interview

I've been studying three of my favorite authors to help me push through to writing again. My first, and all time, favorite is Megan Whalen Turner. I love her stories; I love Gen; I love the layers of writing.
As I've read interviews with Megan I remembered I got to do one with her! I MET HER! She was kind and funny and gracious. I loved that she knitted the whole time we sat around her and gawked and plied her with questions.
So, in honor of searching inside myself to become a better write by studying my favorties, here is that interview from 2013:

Welcome Megan today! I want to be her when my author shelf grows up. If you haven't read her THIEF series, now is a good time.

 Now for Megan's interview:

What was the first book that turned you into a reader?

Probably it was the Narnia books by CS Lewis.  I remember foisting them on my third grade teacher and I knew I'd read them many times over by then.


What's your favorite snack?

Er?  How could I pick just one?  Hmmmm, probably Vinegar Potato Chips, although I am sure I should say something healthy like "Carrots!  I love carrots!"


What is your most memorable high school experience?

Passing notes to a friend between classes.  We wrote whole epistolary novels together on pieces of paper torn from our notebooks.

What do you never leave home without?

I can leave anything at home. My keys, my wallet, my cell phone.  I have not ever actually left my head behind, but only because it is securely attached to the rest of me.

Do you have any pets?

No, though I occasionally borrow them from friends.  For several years my neighbor's cat felt it owned my house, too. I used to come home and find it asleep in the sun in my study.

Do have a favorite getaway?

The library.

What was the first book that turned you into a reader?

Wait, wait, I answered that one already!

What is one piece of advice you would give aspiring writers?

Watch out for self-indulgence.  It is the bane of writers.  It tells you it's okay to quit for the day when you could keep on writing.  It tells you that it's okay to skimp on the plotting or the characterization in order to get to the "good parts."

What are your goals for 2013?

My goal is to write more quickly.

cheers,
Megan

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, read by Neil Gaiman

KID AUTHORS: True Tales of Childhood from Famous Writers by David Stabler & Doogie Horner

The series that includes Kid Presidents, Kid Artists, and Kid Athletes now chronicles the lives of Kid Authors! Here are true tales of famous writers, from long before they were famous--or even old enough to drive. Did you know:
- Sam Clemens (aka Mark Twain) loved to skip school and make mischief, with his best friend Tom, of course!
- A young J. R. R. Tolkien was bitten by a huge tarantula--or as he called it, -a spider as big as a dragon.-
- Toddler Zora Neale Hurston took her first steps when a wild hog entered her house and started chasing her!
The diverse and inclusive cast includes Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, J. K. Rowling, Langston Hughes, Jules Verne, Lewis Carroll, Stan Lee, and many more.


 Opening line:
"Everybody loves a good story--and we all know that a well-told story has a beginning, a middle, and an end."

This was a fun and quick book to read. Little interesting insights to a few writers with cute illustrations for each.
Ronald, aka, J.R.R. Tolkein was bit on the foot by a Baboon Tarantula. They are ginormous! Remind you of anything spiders in his stories?
Roald Dahl loved candy. When he was thirteen he was sent to a dismal school BUT it doubled as an undercover testing lab for Cadbury! He us to daydream about the inside of that factory.
Sam, or Samuel Clemens or Mark Twain (his name has something to do with boats...) us to get into all sorts of mischief with his best bud, Tom.
There are more snippets of interesting facts about more kid authors at the end of the book
I think this would be a great addition to any home or classroom.

THE FIRE QUEEN by Emily R. King

In the second book in The Hundredth Queen Series, Emily R. King once again follows a young warrior queen’s rise to meet her destiny in a richly imagined world of sorcery and forbidden powers.

Though the tyrant rajah she was forced to marry is dead, Kalinda’s troubles are far from over. A warlord has invaded the imperial city, and now she’s in exile. But she isn’t alone. Kalinda has the allegiance of Captain Deven Naik, her guard and beloved, imprisoned for treason and stripped of command. With the empire at war, their best hope is to find Prince Ashwin, the rajah’s son, who has promised Deven’s freedom on one condition: that Kalinda will fight and defeat three formidable opponents.

But as Kalinda’s tournament strengths are once again challenged, so too is her relationship with Deven. While Deven fears her powers, Ashwin reveres them—as well as the courageous woman who wields them. Kalinda comes to regard Ashwin as the only man who can repair a warring world and finds herself torn between her allegiance to Deven and a newly found respect for the young prince.

With both the responsibility to protect her people and the fate of those she loves weighing heavily upon her, Kalinda is forced again to compete. She must test the limits of her fire powers and her hard-won wisdom. But will that be enough to unite the empire without sacrificing all she holds dear?


 Opening line:
"Death has a stench, and it is not decaying flesh but the bitter scent of smoke clawing into my pores."

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one! I was enthralled from the beginning and had a hard time putting the book down (I'm two hours behind in my chores!!).
Kalinda is the same brave woman we watched grow in book 1 but now she feels guilt for making bargains to save her empire and those bargains didn't quite work out.
Deven is still the devoted guard who wants to help and protect everyone.
The two are separated and a new "man" comes on the scene: Prince Ashwin. He is instantly enamored with Kali. Unfortunately for him, he looks just like his daddy who Kali killed: Turek.
There are also new friends added, who I really like, and new relationships. There was tons of palace intrigue that I thought Kali could dismiss because of who she was and how strong she is but that didn't happen. There are reasons...
I was so annoyed and frustrated with certain characters that I didn't mind when they were no longer part of the story. :)
Kali has a decision to make: be set free or defend her people. It's a big decision with lives and love in the balance.
Emily King does a great job developing characters and worlds and pulling readers in from the beginning (and the readers don't get the floors mopped because they. can't. stop. reading!).
I WILL read the third book! I can't wait to see what happens next!

Violence: fighting, whipping, death
Sex: kissing
Language: none

FINALE! Summer reading challenges complete.

Wow! What a busy summer! 

We visited this whole other country and then visited the country. 

We welcomed home a daughter who was gone for 18 months (and cried), put up a pool and played. 

We got so much rain in the spring that new flowers appeared in the flower beds. The roses are still blooming and smell so good. But the time went too quickly! I'm not ready for the fall! 

I read 27 books in July and August.  

Some I really liked, others I didn't. I got my TBR pile down a teeny, tiny bit. I have a few more I want to finish this weekend as it's a long weekend:

If My Moon was Your Sun
by Andreas Steinhofel, Nele Palmtag (illustration)

 Max lives in a small town, much smaller than yours. His grandpa is losing his memory, but still remembers quite a bit. You can imagine how they hurried, Max and his grandpa, followed by old Miss Schneider, who insisted on coming along. Why were they in a hurry? Because everyone was after them. Max had skipped school to rescue his grandpa, and they were just starting out on what promised to be one of the best days of their entire lives.

A touching story about dementia and the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren,

The Fire Queen 

by Emily King

In the second book in The Hundredth Queen Series, Emily R. King once again follows a young warrior queen’s rise to meet her destiny in a richly imagined world of sorcery and forbidden powers.

Though the tyrant rajah she was forced to marry is dead, Kalinda’s troubles are far from over. A warlord has invaded the imperial city, and now she’s in exile. But she isn’t alone. Kalinda has the allegiance of Captain Deven Naik, her guard and beloved, imprisoned for treason and stripped of command. With the empire at war, their best hope is to find Prince Ashwin, the rajah’s son, who has promised Deven’s freedom on one condition: that Kalinda will fight and defeat three formidable opponents.

The Secret Hum of a Daisy
by Tracy Holczer
 
After her mother's sudden death, Grace is forced to live with a grandmother she's never met. She can't imagine her mother would want her to stay with this stranger. Then Grace finds clues in a mysterious treasure hunt, just like the ones her mother used to send her on. Maybe it is her mother, showing her the way to her true home.







 

Ever the Brave
by Erin Summerill
 
 Ever the Divided. Ever the Feared. Ever the Brave.
After saving King Aodren with her newfound Channeler powers, Britta only wants to live a peaceful life in her childhood home. Unfortunately, saving the King has created a tether between them she cannot sever, no matter how much she'd like to, and now he's insisting on making her a noble lady. And there are those who want to use Britta’s power for evil designs. If Britta cannot find a way to harness her new magical ability, her life—as well as her country—may be lost.

The stakes are higher than ever in the sequel to Ever the Hunted, as Britta struggles to protect her kingdom and her heart.

This book just might be my favorite read of the summer!

My Lady Jane
by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

CLEVER! 

What's what this story is all about! It's clever. Funny. Smart. Hilarious at times. Intriguing all the time. The story of Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Day Queen, is told from the three different, rich viewpoints, thanks to three great writers. So many awesome quotes. Here's one that made me laugh out loud (I was listening to the audio book which made my laughter even more startling) and caused my children to look askance at me:
"Your mother was a hamster and your father reeked of elder berries!"

I hope to have 30 books read by the end of Labor Day. Then I really, really need to get back to writing.

Summer reading updates! #3

Next week (August20-27)  the #COYER challenge is to read only audio or ebooks.

I'm wrapping up my TBR Wipeout challenge this week. Here are my thoughts on my summer reading:

I got a lot of books off my TBR pile! I read 18 books in June and July. August isn't over yet (sumer'snotoversummer'snotoversummer'snotover) so I still have a few weeks to finish up my challenges.

Here are the ones I'm hope to read through the rest of August:

Dream me by Kathryn Berla

Presence: Bringing your Boldest Self to your biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy

Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts















These are the ones I've enjoyed the last couple of weeks:

The Killing Curse
by H.B. Moore

"Taheer Sayid picked up his cell phone and selected his most trustworthy contact."

HB Moore kills it again! Another great addition to this series!

Havencross by Julie Daines

"Two hundred fifty miles into this journey and not a word spoken."

 Deception, lies, romance, unrequited love and smugglers all roll along in Ms. Daines newest, delightful book.

Summer reading update #2

For #COYER this week (July 23-30) I'm reading only physical books, which was a little hard only because I was finishing up two ebooks. but i have plenty of hardcover to read! I'll let you know what I read in a few weeks.

Another month of reading!  

Here are the ones I am reading:

The Killing Curse 
by H.B. Moore

It Started With Goodbye 
by Christina June

Don't Kiss the Messenger 
by Katie Ray

Thick as Thieves 
by Megan Whalen Turner













Here are a couple I enjoyed the past couple of weeks:

My Lady Jane
Cynthia hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane is about to become the Queen of England.

  Clever. Funny. Smart. Hilarious at times. Intriguing all the time. The story of Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Day Queen, is told from the three different, rich viewpoints, thanks to three great writers.  
"Your mother was a hamster and your father reeked of elder berries!"





A Season in London

POOR RELATIONS by Elizabeth Johns

""This is my cousin, Emma Standrich," said Jane Wetherby said for the hundredth time that evening."

Emma feels she needs to become a governess to save her family. Colonel Shelton is smitten with her and offers his hand in marriage and the access to his money to help her save her family
 
EDWARD & EMILY by Heather B. Moore
""This is my cousin, Emma Standrich," said Jane Wetherby said for the hundredth time that evening."

Emma feels she needs to become a governess to save her family. Colonel Shelton is smitten with her and offers his hand in marriage and the access to his money to help her save her family
 
A SPORTING SEASON by Rebecca Connolly

"A season in London."
 
What a fun read! Daphne is determined to ruin her season in London before anyone else does and Jaime is determined to have a front row seat. Their dialogue is snappy and intelligent and their chemistry sweet.

Summer reading updates...

This week (June 25-July2)  in the #COYER challenge I'm only reading ebooks. I'll be back on July 23rd to update how that went.

Here are the books I'm reading right now:

The Library of Light and Shadow
by M. J. Rose

A Season in London (Timeless Regency collection)
 Elizabeth Johns, Heather B Moore, Rebecca Connolly

 Strange the Dreamer
by Laini Taylor

My Lady Jane
by Cynthia Hand









I've read a lot of books this past month. Here's a rundown on what I enjoyed:

The Clockwork Dynasty
by Daniel H Wilson

Present day: When a young anthropologist specializing in ancient technology uncovers a terrible secret concealed in the workings of a three-hundred-year-old mechanical doll, she is thrown into a hidden world that lurks just under the surface of our own. With her career and her life at stake, June Stefanov will ally with a remarkable traveler who exposes her to a reality she never imagined, as they embark on an around-the-world adventure and discover breathtaking secrets of the past...

Russia, 1725: In the depths of the Kremlin, the tsar's loyal mechanician brings to life two astonishingly humanlike mechanical beings. Peter and Elena are a brother and sister fallen out of time, possessed with uncanny power, and destined to serve great empires. Struggling to blend into pre-Victorian society, they are pulled into a legendary war that has raged for centuries.

The Clockwork Dynasty seamlessly interweaves past and present, exploring a race of beings designed to live by ironclad principles, yet constantly searching for meaning. 

 Opening line:
"The age of the thing is in the feel of it."

I wasn't sure how much I would like this book but I then I couldn't put it down so I guess it's safe to say I did like. 

Full review here. 

My Own Mr. Darcy
by Karey White

After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough.

Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

  Opening line:
"The theater was nearly empty."

I LOVE the cover!

Full review here.


A Beautiful Blue Death

by Charles Finch

On any given day in London, all Charles Lenox, Victorian gentleman and armchair explorer, wants to do is relax in his private study with a cup of tea, a roaring fire and a good book. But when his lifelong friend Lady Jane asks for his help, Lenox cannot resist another chance to unravel a mystery, even if it means trudging through the snow to her townhouse next door.

One of Jane's former servants, Prudence Smith, is dead -- an apparent suicide. But Lenox suspects something far more sinister: murder, by a rare and deadly poison. The house where the girl worked is full of suspects, and though Prudence dabbled with the hearts of more than a few men, Lenox is baffled by an elusive lack of motive in the girl's death.

When another body turns up during the London season's most fashionable ball, Lenox must untangle a web of loyalties and animosities. Was it jealousy that killed Prudence? Or was it something else entirely, something that Lenox alone can uncover before the killer strikes again -- disturbingly close to home?

Opening line:

"Charles Lenox sat in the study of his town house in Hampden Lane--that small, shop-lined street just off Grosvenor Place where he had passed most of his adult life--and sifted through the papers that had accumulated upon his desk, as they would, inevitably, when one became a member of Parliament. "

I really quite enjoyed my first foray into the Charles Lenox Mysteries. 

Full review here.

Annual Summer TBR Wipeout and other challenges

I'm doing FOUR reading challenges this summer. Not hard. Just reading. Cleaning out my Kindle and hardcover books by finally reading those books that have been begging to be picked up and loved.

My reading challenges are with #COYER (Clean Out Your E-Reads), Modern Mrs. Darcy , TBR Wipeout and Summer Book Trek *

I think it sounds fun and a great way to push me to get books on my TBR pile read!

1. A Beautiful Blue Death
2. A Study in Silks
3. Prisoner of Ice and Snow
4. Dream Me
5. Ash and Quill
6. Bring Her Home
7. Perish From Earth
8. Hello, Sunshine
9. My Own Mr. Darcy*
10. Relax, I'm a Ninja*
11. An Ocean Away*
12. A Season in London*
13. Star-touched Queen
14. The Clockwork Dynasty
15. Lies Jane Austen Told Me*
16. As You Wish
17. My Lady Jane*
18. Havencross*
19. Flame in the Mist
20. Watch Me Disappear
21. Secret of the India Orchid*
22. Fitness Junkie
23. Royal Bastards
24. The Original Jinny Moon
25. Wreckage*
26. Girl Out of Water
27. It Started With Goodbye
28. Don't Kiss the Messenger
29. Thick As Thieves
30. Defy the Stars
31. The Go Between
32. Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone
33. The Library of Light and Shadow
34. Mask of Shadows
35. Where the Light Falls
36. Romancing Daphne*
37. P.S. I Like You*
38. Presence
39. Rosemarked
40. I hate Everyone But You
41. The Fifth Doll
42. Everything We Keep
43. The Killing Curse
44. The Midnight Dance
45. The Space Between Words
46. Beautiful Poison
47. The Original Ginny Moon
48. If my Moon Was Your Sun
49. The Fire Queen
50. When the Mockingbird Sings

This is one of two challenges on Modern Mrs. Darcy's blog

I'm so excited to do these challenges!

What are you reading this summer??

My summer reading list challenge! Join me! #COYER

I'm doing a reading challenge this summer to try and catch up on my reading, especially my e-books.

#COYER (clean off your e-reader) begins June 17th. There are two ways to do the challenge:

1. Read all the books you want. Read and review.
2. Summer reading list and the read-a-thon that goes with it. I'm choosing this option.

Find out more HERE.

I think it sounds fun and a great way to push me to get books on my TBR pile read!

1. A Beautiful Blue Death
2. A Study in Silks
3. Prisoner of Ice and Snow
4. Dream Me
5. Ash and Quill
6. Bring Her Home
7. Perish From Earth
8. Hello, Sunshine
9. My Own Mr. Darcy
10. Relax, I'm a Ninja
11. An Ocean Away
12. A Season in London
13. Star-touched Queen
14. The Clockwork Dynasty
15. Lies Jane Austen Told Me
16. As You Wish
17. My Lady Jane
18. Havencross
19. Flame in the Mist
20. Watch Me Disappear
21. Secret of the India Orchid
22. Fitness Junkie
23. Royal Bastards
24. The Original Jinny Moon
25. Wreckage
26. Girl Out of Water
27. It Started With Goodbye
28. Don't Kiss the Messenger
29. Thick As Thieves
30. Defy the Stars
31. The Go Between
32. Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone
33. The Library of Light and Shadow
34. Mask of Shadows
35. Where the Light Falls
36. Romancing Daphne
37. P.S. I Like You
38. Presence
39. Rosemarked
40. I hate Everyone But You
41. The Fifth Doll
42. Everything We Keep
43. The Killing Curse
44. The Midnight Dance
45. The Space Between Words
46. Beautiful Poison
47. The Original Ginny Moon
48. If my Moon Was Your Sun
49. The Fire Queen
50. When the Mockingbird Sings

I'm so excited to do this challenge!

 I wonder how many I'll read??????


Read-a-thon Challenge:

• Read-a-thon Dates are
  • June 25th – July 2nd ~ read only ebooks
  • July 23rd to July 30th ~ read only physical books
  • August 20th to August 27th ~ read only audio and ebooks

I rocked my childhood or how my childhood affects my writing

At least, in my mind I rocked it.
I mean, look at these toys!
I loved playing house and school and I loved my Fisher Price toys.

These were favorite toys when I was little. They got a lot of use, not only from me but my siblings too. I remember making words on the schoolhouse with the magnetic letters when I was first starting to spell.
We also had the house. Sometimes, we created the house outside with rocks and flowers, and used the furniture and Little people.

My mom used to have these fuzzy bunnies as decor. 

I loved to pet them when I needed to calm down.

Stickers! I loved the googly eyes and the Scratch n' Sniff stickers. The smells bring back memories of junior high days. Which may or may not have been tumultuous and ugly. But all was well when friends shared stickers.

NOTES!

I passed so many notes in the my years from elementary to high school. We even folded them this way. We retold our day with stick figures or made up very important quizzes like this:

-->

Do you like:

Mike 

Chase ☑

Grant 

Are you mad at me:

Yes 

No 

Maybe ☑

Do any of you remember these cassettes? My friends and I made tons of mixed tapes together. I still have some. Hubby and I still have a whole drawer of cassettes! Huh. I don't think we have anything to play them.

I'm a little bit country! 

An I'm a little bit rock n' roll!

Here's the last and the most iconic childhood memory for me: Donny and Marie Osmond! I watched them on TV. I listened to them on the radio, bought purple socks and I. had. the. action figures. Donny got to kiss a lot of my Barbies, just sayin'.

***

I find that a lot of my experiences and friends and family come out a bit in my writing. They surface unexpectedly and I'm usually surprised why and how. Seeing that multicolored cassette in this post kinda makes me want to write and 80's themed book.

For years after I graduated from junior high, I dreamed about that school. The things that happened there shaped me in more ways than I think. I could draw a map of that school. I wish I could have walked it and taken pictures before it was torn down. Maybe I'll do a story set in junior high. I'll have to find my photo albums and year books.

So what I'm saying is that our experiences shape the stories we write or what we want to write. It's okay to write what we know. It's okay to write reality based on our experiences. We need to hear other's memories and stories. No one can say we know or we don't understand because we do, according to our experiences.

Don't be afraid to write what you know. Or maybe, be very afraid. And write from there...
There's just not enough time to write them all.

100 (or something like that) Book Challenge!

I'm taking my lead from Nathan Bransford and doing the 100 book challenge. He said it was harder for him than he thought. I'm kinda excited to look at all the books I've enjoyed reading.

I'll meet Nathan's challenge and see how hard it is.


UPDATE: like two hours later... I ended up 180! WHAT?? I added every book in a series. So I went back and put the books in a series on the same line. Even doing that I still had 137. 
My middle grade, picture books and all genres are mixed up in this list.

This challenge was hard in that it took FOREVER to go through my goodreads books and find the ones I loved/enjoyed reading.

So here is my list, in random order that I don't expect anyone to read because it is freaking long. LOL

What about you? Can you come up with 100 fav books?

1. The Far Pavilions, Shadow of the Moon
2. Jane Eyre
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. Persuasion
5. An Assembly Such as This, Duty and Desire, These Three Remain
6. A Tale of Two Cities
7. A Christmas Carol
8. Silas Marner 
9. The Screwtape Letters
10. Seven Gables
11. The Raven
12. Pudd'nhead Wilson
13. Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich
14. Birdman of Alcatraz
15. The Count of Monte Cristo 
16. Magnificent Obsession
17. The Poisonwood Bible
18. Wives and Daughter
19. North and South
20.  Hagseed: The Tempest Retelling
21. To Kill a Mockingbird
22. Island of the Blue Dolphins
23. The Secret Garden
24. The Penderwick's
25. The Giver
26. Eragon
27. The Secret Journal of Brett Colton
28. Anne of Green Gables
29. Edenbrook
30. These is My Words 
31. Enchanted April
32. Prisoner of Zenda
33. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
34. The Rent Collector
35. Fried Green Tomatoes
36. Al Capone Irons My Shirts 
37. The Indian in the Cupboard 
38. No Talking
39. Stargirl
40. Fablehaven, Rise of the Evening Star, Grip of the Shadow Plague, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, Keys to the Demon Prison
41. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
42. You Are Mine
43. The Importance of Being Earnest
44. A Lantern in Her Hand
45. Gone with the Wind
46. Romeo and Juliet 
47. Much Ado About Nothing
48. The Canterbury Tales
49. SkippyJon Jones
50. Good Night Moon 
51. Oh! The Places You'll Go!
52. Love Twelve Miles Long
53. 14 Cows for America
54. The Tale of Despereaux
55. The Magician's Elephant
56. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
57. Double Trouble in Walla Walla
58. The Princess Bride
59. Jellicoe Road
60. The Hundredth Queen
61. Pivot Point
62. On Little Wings
63. Wednesday Wars
64. The Pearl
65. Eleanor and The Iron King
66. Willowkeep
67. Unraveled
68. Blind Eye
69. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency 
70. The Help 
71. Unspoken
72. The Forgotten Garden
73. The Secret Keeper
74. Lord of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, Hobbit
75. Inside Out & Back Again
76. A Light in the Attic
77. Falling Up
78. The Giving Tree 
79. Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book
80. The Polar Express 
81. Death of a Salesman
82. Ink and Bone
83. It's a Mall World After All
84. My Fair Godmother
85. Austenland
86. The Goose Girl
87. Princess Academy 
88. The Actor and the Housewife
89. Rapunzel's Revenge 
90. Princess of the Midnight Ball, Princess of Glass
91. Dragon Slippers
92. The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen, The Iron Knight
93. Sorcerers Stone, Prisoner of Azkaban, Chamber Secret, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blooded Prince, Deathly Hollows
94. Entwined
95. Traitor
96. The Girl of Fire and Thorns
97. Forgotten 
98. Fallen
99. Gilded Cage
100. The Reader
101. An Ember in the Ashes
102. Three Dark Crowns
103. The Wraith and the Dawn
104. Things Half in Shadow
105. The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia
106. The False Prince, The Runaway King, The Shadow Throne
107. Mark of the Thief, Rise of the Wolf
108. The Kiss of a Stranger 
109. Seeking Persephone
110. Courting Miss Lancaster
111. As You Are
112. Glimmer of Hope
113. The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance
114. Elantris
115. Legion
116. Steelheart, Firefight, Calamity
117. Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians, Alcatraz versus the Scrivener's Bones
118. Dodger
119. The Final Empire, The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment,The Wicked Day
120. City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass
121. Maze Runner
122. Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant
123. The Hunger Games, Mockingjay, Catching Fire
124. Band of Sisters
125. Wolf Hollow
126. Yellow Star 
127. The Healing Spell
128. Loser 
129. Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn
130. The Host
131. Christmas Oranges
132. The Miracle of the Wooden Shoes
133. Increase in Learning: Spiritual Patterns
134. The Second Rescue: The story...Willie and Martin Handcart
135. The Remarkable Soul of a Woman
136. Women of the Book of Mormon
137. Plain and Simple: A Journey to the Amish

Seven of my favorite April 2017 reads!

I read a lot of great books this month. So many more I wish I had time to read! Can't the publishing industry just take a month off so we can get 1/4 of our TBR pile read??
Look at all the beautiful covers in this list!!!

This list, in no particular order, highlights a few of my favorites:

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

 Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount.

Brilliantly crafted, Wolf Hollow is a haunting tale of America at a crossroads and a time when one girl’s resilience, strength, and compassion help to illuminate the darkest corners of our history.

Opening line:
"The year I turned twelve, I learned how to lie."
 
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, but I did. I loved it.  I recommend it to any reader, but especially to middle grade and older. This is a story all readers will enjoy and find something they can connect with.

The Vicar's Daughter by Josi S. Kilpack 
 
Cassie, the youngest of six daughters in the Wilton family, is bold, bright, and ready to enter society. There's only one problem: her older sister Lenora, whose extreme shyness prevents her from attending many social events. Lenora is now entering her third season, and since their father has decreed that only one Wilton girl can be out at a time, Cassie has no choice except to wait her turn.

Evan Glenside, a soft-spoken, East London clerk, has just been named his great-uncle's heir and, though he is eager to learn all that will be required of him, he struggles to feel accepted in a new town and in his new position.

A chance meeting between Evan and Lenora promises to change everything, but when Lenora proves too shy to pursue the relationship, Cassie begins to write Mr. Glenside letters in the name of her sister. Her good intentions lead to disaster when Cassie realizes she is falling in love with Evan. But then Evan begins to court Lenora, thinking she is the author of the letters.

As secrets are revealed, the hearts of Cassie, Evan, and Lenora are tested. Will the final letter sent by the vicar's daughter be able to reunite the sisters as well as unite Evan with his true love?

  Opening line:
"Cassie fidgeted with the skirt of her day dress and said a silent prayer: Please help me remain calm."

Cassie is the youngest daughter (out of six) of the vicar and he and his wife have decided that only one daughter will be out in society at a time. This is frustrating for Cassie because her sister, Lenora, is shy and anxious. To "help" Lenora, Cassie starts writing letters to Evan, a man Lenora met at a ball, in Lenora's name. Cassie could not have seen the problematic outcome of her innocent actions. This "help" proves to have a ripple effect that is negative to those involved and those not. This is really where the story sucked me in and held me tight.
Cassie fell in love with Evan. Evan fell in love with the woman in the letters but was determined to get to know Lenora better. Lenora was happy Evan paid attention to her. Then Evan proposed to Lenora and everything went downhill.
I wanted to keep reading to find out how in the world the characters got out of this mess! It really seemed hopeless. Josi Kilpack is an excellent writer who keeps her readers guessing and reading.
I really, really loved the character arcs. Cassie's was especially fascinating to read. She grew and matured so much in the story it was delightful to read.

Thanks to netgalley for the early read. I loved it! 5 STARS


Scourge by Jennifer A. Nielsen

 As a lethal plague sweeps through the land, Ani Mells is shocked when she is unexpectedly captured by the governor’s wardens and forced to submit to a test for the deadly Scourge. She is even more surprised when the test results come back positive, and she is sent to Attic Island, a former prison turned refuge—and quarantine colony—for the ill. The Scourge’s victims, Ani now among them, can only expect to live out short, painful lives there.

However, Ani quickly discovers that she doesn’t know the whole truth about the Scourge or the Colony. She’s been caught in a devious plot, and, with the help of her best friend, Weevil, Ani means to uncover just what is actually going on. But will she and Weevil survive the Scourge—and the governor’s wardens—long enough to make their escape and expose the cruel plan?

 Opening line:
"Few things were worth the risk to my life, but the juicy vine fruit was one of them."

I listened to this one. Another great book from Jennifer Nielsen! I know any book I can pick up any of her books and enjoy them.  Keep writing, Jennifer! 5 STARS!

Dark Breaks the Dawn by Sarah B. Larson

On her eighteenth birthday, Princess Evelayn of Eadrolan, the Light Kingdom, can finally access the full range of her magical powers. The light looks brighter, the air is sharper, and the energy she can draw when fighting feels almost limitless.

But while her mother, the queen, remains busy at the war front, in the Dark Kingdom of Dorjhalon, the corrupt king is plotting. King Bain wants control of both kingdoms, and his plan will fling Evelayn onto the throne much sooner than she expected.

In order to defeat Bain and his sons, Evelayn will quickly have to come into her ability to shapeshift, and rely on the alluring Lord Tanvir. But not everyone is what they seem, and the balance between the Light and Dark comes at a steep price.


Opening line:
"The jeweled forest blurred into a tapestry of color as Evelayn sprinted away from the castle."

I won this book in a contest and I was so excited! I've been wanting to read this pretty book since Sarah announced it would be published. 

An intriguing retelling, or the start, of Swan Lake. Princess, danger, magic, bad guys, one cute guy, this book has it all plus a slow burn romance. Is the next one out yet??

Dawn of Wonder (The Wakening #1) by Jonathan Renshaw

 When a high-ranking officer gallops into the quiet Mistyvales, he brings a warning that shakes the countryfolk to their roots. But for Aedan, a scruffy young adventurer with veins full of fire and a head full of ideas, this officer is not what he seems.

The events that follow propel Aedan on a journey that only the foolhardy or desperate would risk, leading him to the gates of the nation’s royal academy – a whole world of secrets in itself.

But this is only the beginning of his discoveries. Something is stirring in the land, something more ominous than the rising threat of hostile nations. Fearful travellers whisper of an ancient power breathing over Thirna, changing it, waking it. In the very heart of these stirrings, Aedan encounters that which defies belief, leaving him speechless with terror – and wonder.

Opening Line:
"Even the wind now held it's breath."

This book is freakishly long, like Brandon Sanderson long! But so good and rich in character and world building! I made excuses to listen to it. I listened to it as I cleaned the house and worked in the yard.

 

 A Fine Gentleman by Sarah M. Eden

London barrister Jason Jonquil has spent his entire life working to establish his identity as a gentleman, a man of refinement like his father and brothers. But when fiery Spanish beauty Mariposa Thornton walks into his office, he finds himself losing his grasp on his dignified character. The woman is infuriating, pushing him to the limit of his legendary patience. However, her case seems simple enough—a small matter of inheritance. Or so he believes.

Once a well-born lady, Mariposa fought to survive the brutalities of Napoleon’s war on Spain. She braved horrific perils and undertook dangerous missions on behalf of those fighting against the invading French army. But her greatest battle still lies ahead: after being separated from her family, Mariposa sets in motion a plan to reunite with her loved ones in England. To avoid drawing the attention of the French, Mariposa dons a carefully crafted persona to conceal her true purpose. As Jason and Mariposa are drawn together by the case, they come to know the people beneath the masks they both wear.

When the truth of Mariposa’s quest is revealed, the couple is pulled into a mystery that will test the limits of their courage—and expose the true desire of their hearts.

 Opening line:
"The commotion outside his office ought to have served as something of a warning, but Jason Jonquil, barrister and proud perfectionist, had done nothing more than glance up from his ruler-straight stack of papers when the first noises had drifted through his closed door."

Hurrah! Another story about the Jonquil boys!!

Condemn Me Not: Accused of Witchcraft  by Heather B. Moore

 “This woman was one of the most impudent, scurrilous, wicked creatures of this world; and she did now throughout her whole trial discover herself to be such a one. Yet when she was asked what she had to say for herself, her chief plea was that she had led a most virtuous and holy life.” —Reverend Cotton Mather, 1692

USA Today Bestselling author Heather B. Moore brings the life of her 10th great-grandmother to center stage. Susannah North Martin, accused of witchcraft in 1692, joins five women in the Salem Jail, all sentenced to death for their crimes. Amidst tragedy, Susannah finds hope and compassion as she remembers a well-loved life, and readers discover that love reaches far beyond the grave as Susannah faces the magistrates in Salem.

 
Opening line:
"This woman was on of the most impudent, scurrilous, wicked creatures of this world; and she did now throughout her whole trail discover herself to such a one."

If you want a personal, beautiful and haunting look into the Salem Witch Trials, this is your book!

This is the story of the author's 10th great-grandmother, Susannah North Martin, who was hanged during the trials. Even though it was really hard and frustrating to reading the chapters about the time of the trials and Susannah's depraving time in jail, there were chapters of love and hope as Susannah and George meet and court and marry. Heather knows how to write romance so the "love" chapters were sweet.
What I liked too was the quotes and dialogue from the actual accusers. Heather put a lot of time and research into this book and it reads smoothly with the history interweaving with the storytelling.
The story is disturbing in that humans could treat other humans so badly. Just straight up lie and someone would die. With that said, if it made me uncomfortable (in the sense of lack of human kindness), it was well-written.

I'd recommend this book to anyone older reader (older teens and up).
There are scenes where the victims are stripped to nothing and scrutinized and abused; death; kissing; intimate touching; martial relationships (not graphic).

Thanks for the early read! I loved it! 5 STARS