Feature and Follow Friday: Everybody Scream

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Q: What books would you give to newbies in your favorite genre?

I'd have a harder time picking a favorite genre than a halloween costume. Yikes!

For those YA lovers but uncertain of entering the genre of historical-fiction, I would suggest: Marie-Antoinette Serial Killer. 

Perfect for this spooky season.









What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Spirit

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP THEMED MOVIES TO GET INTO THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT 

Can a girl who loves Valentine's Day get into the spirit of Halloween? Oh, yeah!! I love nothing more than to heat up a bucket of popcorn and boil some mummies. Then comes the gore.

For Halloween Giggles

  

You can't go wrong with Mean Girls and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The best part is that both films were adapted from books.                                                                

For Halloween Goosebumps

All containing Halloween Scenes, Hocus Pocus, E.T the Extraterrestrial and Idle Hands are fun to watch and not too gruesome. Although, I'd skip the latter for small children and replace it with Casper. 

For Halloween Sweat

Halloween!! Had to go with a classic

Which Halloween themed movie tops your list?

Caught my arrow #38

Caught my Arrow is a meme similar to Stalking the Shelves featuring books that were purchased, borrowed or received that week.

Had a blast at Comic Con this year (pics on instagram). It's incredible to see how many great artists live here in Montreal. Now, bring on them books!!

Received from Publisher

Une photo publiée par natalia k (@natyuniverse) le Oct. 10, 2014 at 7:07 PDT

We should hang out sometime by Josh Sundquist

Received from Netgalley

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Received from author

The 52nd by Dela

Borrowed from library

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

What are you reading this week?

Review: Revolutionary

Does Revolutionary end with a bang?

The last time we saw Thalli, she was putty in Dr. Loudin's hands. He captured her as collateral in case Alex, her fiance, refused to collaborate in his machiavellian plan to rule the world. Will Loudin ever be stopped? Thalli intends to do so. But upon her return to the State, she uncovers a secret that causes her to lose faith in the Designer. Once faith is lost, can you ever gain it back?

This conclusion to the Anomaly series, wasn't as fast paced as the previous and yet the ending felt extremely rushed. First Loudin captures Thalli and Alex, then he keeps on adding more prisoners such as Rhen and her boyfriend, followed by Berk. No matter how hard they try to escape, none of them want to hurt Loudin in the process. On the plus side, John's great inspirational words are replaced by Rhen's new found faith, who knows just what to say to keep the gang cheered.

Disappointing, after such a great introduction. 

Review: Betti on the High Wire

Babo's parents will come back for her... 

Or so she thinks. Sadly, Babo's reality is another. Her country is being torn by war and her parents are both dead, leaving her in the care of Auntie Moo, a woman who kindly took charge of the orphaned circus children after an attack. Luckily for Babo, an American family filed adoption papers. But will Babo, with her broken eye and missing toes, be able to adjust in her new country?

Railsback didn't hold back on the heartwrenching material. Babo's insistence that her parents are alive brought tears to my eyes, as I understood that adjusting to a new country is one thing, but accepting that your family has changed is entirely other. Not only does she have a new mom and dad, but also a younger sister, Lucy. The way these two adjust to one another is touching and very realistic.

A great story that reminds us not all memories need to fade in order to make new ones.

Feature and Follow Friday: Replay

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Share the song you can't stop listening to.

I chose kind of a stalkerish song, but it's all about the rhythm. You've probably heard Black Widow by Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora on the radio a 1000 times. What's one more?

Tell me, what's on your replay?

Review: Party Games

Is there a genre between middle-grade and YA?

Back in the 1990s, R.L.Stine presented Fear Street, a teen horror series revolving around the terrifying Fear family and the doomed townspeople who got involved with them. 

Party Games revives this cult series twenty years later, with Rachel, a high school student, who gets invited to Brendan's Fear party on a remote island. Even Though, her ex-boyfriend Mac and best friend Amy (who only appears in one scene) warn her not to go, Rachel doesn't listen. But once she gets there, something doesn't feel quite right. Why is Brendan suddenly so interested in playing games instead of getting drunk? And why are all their friends dying one by one? 

Ten by Gretchen McNeil, and Diane Hoh's The Invitation will come to mind when reading this YA book. But although Stine did attempt to make the story gory with killing acts such as ''The Twister Game'' and '' The Jenga Game,'' Party Games didn't have the spark of its competitors. Rachel was too guy-crazed for a main character, constantly ranting about Mac wanting her back, even providing her best friend with a list of all the guys she's dated. If only Rachel didn't spend her time following Brendan from one end of the house to the other, searching for flashlights. If only she would take the lead and act as a main character.

In this modern day, teenagers are used to a lot more action and Mary Sue characters are far gone. Hopefully, the next book in the series will keep that in mind. 

Review: The Space in Between

A Wiccan ritual with an amateur practicant -- what could possibly go wrong?

Regardless of the consequences, Moira wants to help her sister, Tabby, fulfill her Pagan calling. Afterall, Tabby, always stands by Moira, even when she feels down about her ADHD meds, unlike her boyfriend, Patrick, who is constantly trying to control their relationship. But now a dream portal has been opened and Moira can't help but fall for the man on the other side. Is it because she is tired of Patrick, or because Haiko is the one? More importantly, is Haiko even real?

Jen Minkman is experienced with fantasy star-crossed lovers (Shadow of Time, The Boy from the Woods) but this is the first time that we encounter a love triangle. Moira and Patrick's relationship is borderline abusive. It can be uncomfortable at times, as Moira begins to acknowledge it and yet remains in his grasp. Of course, as the reader this makes us want her to travel to the other side more fervently, even as she risks her life to rescue Hayko.

The Space in Between will make you question which relationships are worth the risk.

Just published my first short story: Gears of Brass + Giveaway

Proud to reveal the cover of Gears of Brass an anthology containing my first short story.    

Welcome to the steampunk realm. A world like ours, but filled with gears of brass, where the beating heart is fueled by steam and the simplest creation is a complex clockwork device.


Within this tome, you’ll find steampunk fairy tale re-tellings, as well as original stories that will send your gears turning.





Gears of Brass will be published through Curiosity Quills on November 10 2014. Prepare for eleven authors guiding your path through worlds filled with airships, top hats, and corsets.

Add on Goodreads

You don't have to wait until October 29th to explore Gears of Brass. CQ is offering a free ebook. To enter, all you need to do is share the cover. This can be done on your blog, facebook, twitter. Each time you share it, log in to rafflecopter to record it. Contest ends October 27th. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Sisters

A book that will make you say Awww in five different pitches!

Telgemeier is back with the sequel to Smile (don't worry -- there are no dentistry problems in this one). This time, Raina, has to survive a road trip to Colorado with her younger sister Amara, whom she considers to be a pest.  Through the use of flashbacks, we learn of Raina's excitement when Amara was born and her futile efforts to build a friendship before she gave up altogether. Are they simply incompatible zodiac signs? Or can a ''car confinement'' bring this two to finally bond? 

The illustrations are vibrant and easy to follow, allowing us to concentrate on the emotional aspect of the story. Although, little Raina's insistence to play with unwilling Amara wins the reader's sympathy from the start, we soon learn that this isn't a rivalry story but something much deeper.

Other books in the series

Smile

Drama

Feature and Follow Friday: I'm Feeling Spicy

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Book looks -- your favorite fashions from the books you've read

Steampunk!! I see it as a great autumn look, suitable for this time of year. Cora from The Friday Society nails it with the perfect goggles.

If I could, I would divide myself between steampunk for daytime, at night time a casual laid back ballerina attire like the one in Pirouette and on weekends the Effie look from the Capitol of The Hunger Games.

What's your fashion?

Review: Wildlife

With a friend like Holly who needs enemies?

Sib is having a lucky year. Her godmother got her to pose for a huge billboard. And now, Ben Capaldi, aka the most wonderful guy in school, just kissed her. This makes up for being forced to spend an entire semester in the woods. If only her best friend, Holly, would stop tormenting her every chance she gets.

Meanwhile, Lou, a new girl who suffered the loss of her boyfriend, sees everything and can't help but try to get Sib to learn to stand up for herself. Even if that means she'll need to start caring again.

Although, both point-of-views had their moments, Sib's controlled the plot as Lou had to face anger and grief before she could start coming out of her shell. But, all in all, Holly's character is the one who steals the show. Her friendship with Sib is of a controlling nature, which can only be described as plain bullying. From showcasing her pictures of her pimples to the boys, to forcing her to have sex -- Holly needs to be stopped before it's too late.

A little lengthy, but worth the read, especially if you've ever been in or observed a controlling relationship.