REVIEW: Benny and Omar by Eoin Colfer

Benny and Omar

by Eoin Colfer

MG/Contemporary

Audiobook version

4 stars

2015 Reading Challenge Success! 

 A book from an author you love 

that you haven't read yet

  


 


By now, you probably know where Eoin Colfer stands on my list of favorite authors, inspiring authors, and epically cool authors. (Hint: He's at the top of all three.) I have adored his books for years. It's not uncommon for me to devote an entire reading month to him. I even met him once, and I've been known to celebrate the anniversary of that day (in a completely sane, non-creepy way, of course).

Suffice to say, I am an Eoin Colfer fan.

But I have a confession to make. There are some Eoin Colfer novels I've never read before.

I know. You didn't think there could possibly be any, did you?
 
After nearly a decade of hemming and hawing and somedaying this book, I finally made myself listen to Benny and Omar, Eoin Colfer's very first novel.

In hindsight, I don't know why it took me so long. I loved this book.

Benny and Omar had all the humor and trademarks of a Colfer story, with some good gut-punching emotion on top of it.

On the surface, it's the story of an Irish boy suddenly uprooted to Tunisia, of all places, forced to adjust to a new culture and country while trying to keep his same simple life from back home.

On a deeper level, this is a coming-of-age story, a boy just on the brink of realizing that the world doesn't revolve around him and that hurling isn't an integral part of existence.

Benny is a sarcastic but funny and likable character. He definitely has his flaws. He's self-absorbed and nothing is more important than his precious sport of hurling. He strikes up an unlikely friendship with a local named Omar, who speaks English only in show quotes and TV ads.

Watching Benny's journey from self-centered boy to more-considerate older brother is enjoyable and satisfying. Two thumbs up for good character development, and aside from that, the books is filled with madcap adventure and humor, from mischievous scrapes to Omar's 'TV English'. On the whole, the book is upbeat, though there are some bleak moments when Benny comes face to face with the Tunisia outside of his 'European' neighborhood.

If you're in need of a good book for a boy, Benny and Omar is a shoe-in. But hey, I'm a fan of giving a good book to any reader, so don't keep it away from the girls by any means.

In short, this had everything I'd expect from Eoin Colfer.

As for the audio version, I could listen to that Irish accent all day. ^_^

My Reading Challenge List

I know I've already talked about my Reading Goals for this year, but I just recently came across this epic challenge over on popsugar.com and I can't resist. This list will push me to read a little outside my comfort zone, but won't be so specific as to be, well, bleh.



The best part is, a lot of the books I already planned to read will fit nicely into one niche or another. I'm going to try to find one book for each challenge, but I might not succeed. There are 50 challenges here, and I only have a goal of hitting 75 books this year, including as many Star Wars books as I can possibly cram in. Because Episode VII, baby!

I already have several books selected and some of these (like a book made into a movie or a book with magic) will be easy to come up with. But there are a few -like a book originally written in another language or a book with bad reviews- that might take a little more brain power. I mean, every book has bad reviews, right? So is there a certain ratio of bad-to-good reviews we should be looking at here? Where does one find a book everyone hated? Maybe there's a Goodreads list for that...

A book your Mom loves = Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
A banned book = To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee Harper
A Pulitzer Prize-Winning Book = The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
A book more than 500 pages = [insert correct Brandon Sanderson title here]
A book a friend recommended = The Hollow Kingdom by Claire Dunkle
A book I started but never finished =The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson
A book that takes place in your hometown = Nightingale by David Farland
A book that takes place in high school = Skinny by Donna Cooner

Personally, I'm looking forward to finding one written by an author with my same initials (if anybody sees an A.T. author, please share!) and picking a book based on its cover. Muahaha.

Have you set any reading goals or challenges for this year? Share, share!

BOOK VS. MOVIE: Death Comes to Pemberley

I promised you more book vs. movie comparisons this year. Now I start making good! ^_^

 

Quirky Questions Collab Tag (Video)

Over on BookTube, I've just participated in a huge collaboration project set up by my friend Georgina (BritishBiblioholic) in which a group of us each asked one question to be compiled into a quirky and unique kind of introductory '20 Questions' tag video.

BOOKTUBE = A community within YouTube where people review, talk about, discuss, rant, and obsess over books.

It was immensely fun. Some of these questions are bizarre, some thought-provoking, some truly insightful. (What super power would you choose? Truly? What book title could double as your autobiography?) There some seriously talented and wise people out there.

Here are all of my answers, and all of the questions and their posers are listed out below. Feel free to answer any or all! I don't see why this questionaire couldn't hop to the blogosphere, so no video even required. ;)

Get those brains working!

Georgina (a.k.a. me, BritishBiblioholic) - with the five most exciting questions EVER:
1) "What is your favourite book?"
2) "Who is your favourite author?"
3) "Do you prefer to read standalones or series?"
4) "Would you rather read a standalone book over and over again, or a series over and over again?"
5) "Do you have a favourite BookTuber? If so, who?"

Rachel: "What got you into reading and what got you into BookTube?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/RachelLovesBooks

Sarah: "Pick your favourite fictional character(s); who do you think THEIR favourite characters (fictional or otherwise) would be and why?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHVr8OO7GM-v8La5hlVgt0w

Sabrina: "Which fandom (or fandoms!) are you part of?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/sabriMHA96

Amanda (that's me!): "Out of all of the fictional characters that you know of, which one would you most want to be - and who would you be in actuality?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ToReadNotToRead

Austin: "If you could try any fictional food (from any book), what would you want to try?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9p0mandwP_GmQZDgjZshqg

Jack: "If you were a book genre, which genre would you be - and what book would you be within that genre?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ReadingWithJack

Lieke: "If you could write your own book, what would it be about?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/booklikelieke

Katie: "If you could be best friends with any YouTuber, who would it be and why?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/KatieOSheaBooks

Adam: "What is the most embarrassing thing that you can do in the world of BookTubia?" (In your opinion.)
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ArrictineReads

Charlotte: "Turn around and look at your bookshelves; out of the books you can see, pick the one with the title that you would give to your autobiography."
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/LottieLovesBooks1

Sue: "If for one entire year you could live the life of any fictional character, whose would you choose and why? NOTE: Nobody from Harry Potter allowed!"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/suemoro

Andrew: "Would you rather live life for 100 'good' years or for 50 'spectacular' years?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/HeavyShelves

Kaisa: "Picture a future where YouTube no longer exists - or else, it's not a popular thing to do anymore. What can you imagine yourself doing instead to share your passion for books and reading rather than making videos?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaxieMagyx

Georgina (a.k.a. me being sneaky): "If you could have any sort of superpower, what superpower would you want?"
My Old Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BookAddict2011

Filipe: "What are the perks of being in a book club/group?"
NOTE: If you don't attend one, give your top five reasons (etc) why you'd want to be in one or something! :)
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAgW_6p7L0-HIjiCU1Nfmcg

Ivan: "If you had to label your gender WITHOUT using the regular labels (e.g. male, female) what would you label yourself as?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3pB1WMH1RgGY9VJ3yIszwQ

Amber: "What is your first memory of being really excited?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Nerdybooklover

Ryan: "If you could combine any two superheroes/supervillains and become that conjoined character, who would you combine and why?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ryanreadsbooks

Tissa: "If you could learn to speak a language overnight, what language would you want to learn?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC858RdKyLF2svHTqkgAvT8Q

Priscilla: "If you could turn any book series into a television show adaptation, which one would you choose and why?"
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thereadables

Top 14 Books of 2014

#14

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Annie Barrows & Mary Ann Shaffer

Adult Fiction/Historical Fiction

4/5 stars

Video Review

#13

Dearest

by Alethea Kontis

YA/Fantasy/Retelling

Woodcutter Sisters series, bk 3

4/5 stars

Video Review | Goodreads Review

#12

Always Neverland

by Zoe Barton

MG/Fantasy

5/5 stars

Video Review

#11

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

by Robin Sloan

Adult Fiction

4/5 stars

Goodreads Review

#10

The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand

by Jen Swann Downey

MG/Adventure/Time Travel

5/5 stars

Goodreads Review

#9

The Rithmatist

by Brandon Sanderson

YA/Fantasy/Alternate History

5/5 stars

Goodreads Review

#8

The Hunchback Assignments series

by Arthur Slade

YA/Steampunk/Spy

5/5 stars

Video Review

#7

Odd Thomas

by Dean Koontz

Adult Fiction/Paranormal/Mystery/Suspense

4/5 stars

Book vs Movie Video | Goodreads Review

#6

Assisted

by John Stockton

Biography/Autobiography

5/5 stars

Goodreads Review

#5

The Returned

by Jason Mott

Adult Fiction/Paranormal

4/5 stars

#4

Steelheart

by Brandon Sanderson

YA/Superhero/Sci-Fi

5/5 stars

Video Review | Goodreads Review

#3

Serenity: Leaves on the Wind

by Zack Whedon

Graphic Novel

4/5 stars

#2

As You Wish

Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride

by Cary Elwes

Non-Fiction/Memoir

5/5 stars

Goodreads Review

#1

Of Sorcery and Snow

by Shelby Bach

MG/Fantasy/Retelling

The Ever Afters, bk 3

5/5 stars

Video Review

Build It With Books!

A friend of mine gave me the idea to build something out of books. And, well, how did this never occur to me before?! 

Now I put forth the challenge to all. Build it with books. Something, anything, everything. Build it with books and share your photos and videos at #BuildItWithBooks.

Books, baby.

Speak Responsibly

I came across a story last week that everyone should see.
It details how an adamant protestor in Phoenix, AZ, after calling for the job and badge of a police officer who shot an unarmed man during a traffic stop, was invited to participate in a police officer's use of force training exercise. The protestor, Jarrett Maupin, agreed.

Here's What Happened After 'Black Lives Matter' Protester Underwent Use of Force Scenarios With Cops

You can watch a video of the exercises in the article, but the gist is that Maupin was placed into the role of a police officer faced with three separate life or death scenarios.

In the first, Maupin did not react fast enough and was 'shot' by the suspicious perpetrator.

The second scenario mirrored the recent incident that Maupin had so fiercely been protesting. The perpetrator rushed on Maupin and, though he did not appear armed, Maupin 'shot' him. When asked, Maupin said he fired because

"...he was in that zone, I felt there was an imminent threat. I didn't necessarily see him armed, but he came clearly to do some harm to [me]. It's hard to make that call. It shakes you up."

He also confessed "I didn't understand how importance compliance was but after going through this, yeah, my attitude has changed. This is all unfolding in 10 to 15 seconds. People need to comply with the orders of law enforcement officers for their own sake."

In the third scenario, Maupin managed to subdue the perp though, after a search, discovered a concealed knife in his waistband.

I share this story for several reasons, but the most important is how crucial it is to understand what it's like for these police officers. They face real and very serious danger every single day. This is something that most average people like us don't fully comprehend. 58 of the 114 police killed in 2014 were a result of assault.

Maupin was incredibly gutsy to step up to the plate and accept this invitation, to experience what it's really like in the shoes of law enforcement. Too many of the voices crying out are pushing their own opinions and agendas without understanding the positions actually involved. For this reason, I have great admiration for Maupin. Because the most courageous thing he did was admit he did not fully understand the situation and that his opinion is now changed because of it. He sent this tweet after experiencing his scenarios:

thanks @troyhaydenfox10 #MCSO for use of force situational training, officer #deescalation & #complying citizens is the answer #commonground
— Rev. Jarrett Maupin (@ReverendMaupin) January 8, 2015

People can voice their opinions. This is America and we have been given the freedom of speech. But we also have the duty to use it responsibly. Unlike the old 'sticks and stones' spiel of childhood, words carry great power, especially from the mouths of the ignorant. To quote the immortal words of Stan Lee, "With great power comes great responsibility."

People should think a little more before they speak or tweet or update their status, and make an effort to better understand the situation before they add their own fuel to the fire. They could be doing more harm than good.

Don't be ignorant. Be like Maupin. Make the effort to gather the facts past the gossip and the sensationalized news stories.

2015 Reading Goals and Most Anticipated Books

You can watch my video or scroll down to see my goals. You could even do both. *gasp*

2015 Reading Goals

• Goodreads Reading Goal of75
• Five Writing books -Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder, Stein on Writing, others TBD

• STAR WARS BOOKS
• One [thick] Brandon Sanderson novel
• Read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the first time w/ newbie reaction vid
• Catch up on the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy
• Finish one manga series
• 2015 TBR list -Pick one title a month to read
• More browse selecting. If I see something at the library that looks good, I'm just going to take it!
• Join a book club. I really want to be part of a book club, but I'm having trouble finding one that suits me and starting my own didn't work out. At all. (I am so sorry.) I want to find something that not only reads books I'll like, but is small enough that we can actually talk to each other, instead of at each other. Suggestions are welcome.

Most Anticipated Books of 2015

• Firefight by Brandon Sanderson, Reckoners bk 2 (Jan. 6)
• The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister (Jan 13)
• Fairest and Winter by Marissa Meyer (Jan 27 & Nov 10, respectively)
• Woven by David Powers King & Michael Jensen (Jan 27)
• Dearest by Alethea Kontis (Feb. 3)
• Masterminds by Gordon Korman (Feb 3)
• Princess Academy: Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale (March 3)
• Stolen Magic by Gail Carson Levine (April 21 -expected)
• The Forever Man by Eoin Colfer (June 23)
• Of Enemies and Endings by Shelby Bach. (June 30) The final book of the Ever Afters series. NOOOOOOOoooooooo! I'm not ready to say goodbye!
• Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George (July 7) -A new Jessica Day George book? Historical fantasy? ROMANIA!?
• Ninja Librarians: Sword in the Stacks by Jen Swann Downey (August 1)

2015 Booktube Goals

• More interaction. I'm going to watch more booktube videos and leave comments and basically try to be social.
• More book-to-movie comparisons. I barely did any of these last year and I am so sorry! I know that I really enjoy doing these, but I never gave myself enough time to actually do it. This will change! My big aim is to do comparisons of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Because yeah.
• More FUN videos. I want to do more tag videos and random bookish things -like book towers or book games- instead of strictly reviews, because I feel like I'm only hitting on half of what makes booktubing awesome.
• Discussions, reactions, and fangirling. There's an upside and a downside to doing spoiler-free reviews and the downside is that I don't get to talk about what I really loved about a book or how a particular character's development blew my mind. So while I'm not going to stop giving spoiler-free reviews, I would like to do more videos where I actually get to talk about and discuss books. BOOKS!

December/2014 Wrap Up and Corny Joke Monday

It's a shiny bright new year, but before I get into my hopes and goals for 2015 (that will be on Thursday), here is my wrap up from the month of December and all those reading goals I set for 2014.

Really, I'm still surprised I managed to read 100+ books last year. I know quite a few graphic novels are responsible for that count, but that's a genre I was hoping to start reading in anyway, so I really consider that a double-score. ;)

~~Links~~
Enchanted Giveaway
Enchanted Review 
Dearest Review
The String Quartet Review
The Hunchback Assignments Review


Corny Joke Monday

How did the telephone propose to his girlfriend?

He gave her a ring.

BOOK REVIEW: Dearest by Alethea Kontis (Woodcutter Sisters, bk 3)

 


Dearest

by Alethea Kontis

YA/Fantasy/Fairy Tales

4 stars

(ARC review; 'Dearest' will be available on Feb. 3)

 
Due to some technical difficulties, this post comes a day late. Apologies for that, but better late than never, right?





First of all, I'd like to thank Alethea not only for the ARC of 'Dearest', but for signing so beautifully the books I bought, for sending enough swag to go around, the much-appreciated Princess Bride references, and for being all around awesome. ^_^

The latest installment of the Woodcutter Sister series deals with Friday, the sweetest, kindest, and gentlest of the Woodcutter clan. While I have nothing against Friday, she was never my favorite of the sisters. Compared to pirate queen Thursday, Wednesday in her black gowns with her poetry and prophecies, sword-hacking Saturday, and Sunday and her magic words, Friday with the big heart and the magic needle seemed a little dull.

I was wrong.
 
Friday was the perfect sister for this story because it played right into her wheelhouse -the need for an open heart and mad sewing skills. She discovers that the seven swans in the palace pond are only swans by day. By night, they are transformed into their true form of seven cursed brothers and she is determined to do everything she can to help them.
 
Much like Friday herself, I learned how a big heart can become a powerful strength, for yourself and everyone around you. 'Dearest' explored a lot more of Friday's character and she may have just become my favorite of the sisters. She isn't a warrior or a hero; she doesn't have any loftier ambitions than becoming a master seamstress and a nun in the abbey of the earth goddess. She loves to help and serve people, and I love that this was used as a character strength. I found her a perfectly wonderful character because she's sweet and kind, but never simperingly so. Sometimes the goody-two-shoes characters can be grating in stories, but Friday is an easily relatable character with very real emotional struggles.
 
Like the other books in the series, 'Dearest' is a love story, and it's split into the perspectives of the hero and the heroine. Something I have always appreciated about this series is that their personalities are never too romanticized. They each have flaws, which they usually overcome on their own, they clash at times, and they always ALWAYS have their own struggles and story lines outside of the romance plot. It deepens the whole experience for me when there's more than just a love story going on. Throw in a bloodthirsty warmonger or political conspiracy to go along with it -that's my kind of story.

Something I didn't mention in my video review was how much I liked Conrad. This new character's role surprised and intrigued me. I can't wait to see where he leads the story in the future. Could we be headed to an Agrabah-like country soon? Will we have jinn or some Aladdin references? A girl can hope. ;)

There was only one thing about this book that I was kind of disappointed about. 'Hero' ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, but 'Dearest' does not advance in the time line. This book takes us back to Arilland and shows us what happened there parallel to 'Hero' instead of taking us on to what happened next. 'Dearest' is a great book and, even though I didn't see what happened next, it still advanced deeper into the larger unfolding story, by bringing a couple more connections into play. But now I have another long wait to find out what happens!
 
One thing I adore about the Woodcutter Sister series are all of the tongue-in-cheek references to the fairy tales of yore. Unlike a true 'retelling' of these tales -like Ella Enchanted or Princess of the Midnight Ball- where the story is the tale, albeit with a new twist, Alethea's use of the classics feels almost incidental. Yes, you could say that Dearest is a retelling of The Six Swans and you could say that Enchanted was a retelling of The Frog Prince, but that would not be doing justice to these books as they are so much more than that. The Woodcutter series inhabits a complex world of Fey and magic, gods and prophecies. Fate and Destiny. And if some of the events that occur happen to tickle a memory, well, that's just coincidence. Alethea's nods to the classics know no bounds, but they are sewn into the fabric of the Woodcutter's reality so gracefully and seamlessly, that it never once distracts the reader, but becomes more of a private joke between us and the author. (Case in point, the orphans that Friday takes to looking after being referred to as 'her Darlings'.)
 
In 'Dearest', we get a new flavor of the world than we have in previous books, specifically with the kind of deities and religious practices that exist. This combination of gods and Fey is particularly interesting to me. In my experience, these have always seemed like opposing ideas in the fantasy genre. You either have gods and religion or fairies and magic, but Alethea has blended them together with a realistic flourish. Fey inhabit another realm, where magic abounds, and they sometimes intermarry with humans and their offspring can be born with magic. It also seems that the ability to use magic can be a blessing bestowed upon favored humans by their patron gods and, like the Greek pantheon, there are plenty to choose from. There is not so much in this book about the gods and religious practices as to make it dull or even too different from the previous novels, but just enough to explain some occurrences in the story and to clue you in that this is a seriously complex and detailed world spread out before us, and we still have a lot to learn about it. I, for one, can't wait to learn more.
 
Four stars to Dearest by Alethea Kontis and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, especially fairy tale retellings.

In fact, I am so convinced that you will like this series, I'm doing a giveaway for the first book, Enchanted. I do apologize that this will only be open to United States residents, but if you'd like to enter, just subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment the YouTube page of the video at the top of this post.

Good luck!

December Book Haul

Ahhhhhh, that new book smell. Nothing quite like it, is there?




Keep an eye out this week for that Enchanted giveaway!

Corny Joke Monday

How do you measure a snake?
In inches. They don't have any feet.

One Video to Rule Them All + Corny Joke Monday

I discovered this today and now everyone else on the Internet can go home. This is it. The pinnacle. Brilliant. Plus, some much needed Samwise Gamgee love, which is always a good thing.

 

Kudos to the talented Hilly and Hannah Hindi. You just got yourself a new subscriber, thanks to the friend who posted this on Facebook. Sharing is awesome, isn't it?

Speaking of sharing...

Corny Joke Monday
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Control freak. Now you say 'Control freak who?'

Now wasn't that a great way to start the week? ;)

Happy Sixth Day of Hanukkah! 

DOUBLE REVIEW + Major Gushing: The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade (bks 3&4)

Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for!

I had to sludge through the unpredictable temper tantrums of my new video editing program, but I'm now happy to present my spoiler free reviews for Empire of Ruins and Island of Doom, the third and fourth and *sob* final books of Arthur Slade's series The Hunchback Assignments.

But wait! There's MORE!

I couldn't say everything I wanted to say in one video. And let's face it, I want to talk about spoilers.

 

So I did a second video in which I basically gush and rant and rave, so if anyone wants to discuss the events of The Hunchback Assignments, now is the perfect time.

Happy Second Day of Hanukkah!

The Blog Wishes You An Enjoyable Week

[The Blog]
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Apologies, visitor, there seems to be a lack of content for today. [beep beep bloop beep] The Host appears to be beyond contact.

This is unfortunate.

As The Blog, this void of a scheduled post ...irks me. Perhaps I can substitute something of entertainment value for your human emotions.

scanning Internet...
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By my calculations, the combination of cats and Star Wars in this 'meme' is an assured success to draw laughter.

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By my calculations, this video of three grown men making strange faces and lip-syncing to high-pitched music in their car will be enjoyable to your perceptions.


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Corny Joke of the Week
What do you do with a dead chemist?
Barium

By my calculations, this joke will not be appreciated by those who value 'humor'.


Humans are strange creatures.

The Blog.

BOOK REVIEW: The String Quartet by Dan Hupalo

The String Quartet
Dan Hupalo
3 stars

When Dawn found the old cello in the dilapidated barn, she thought she had scored that jackpot. Now she could join the music class at her new school. She would be able to practice again. But when she begins to play, things happen. Magical things. The music of Dawn's cello and her string quartet draw them into another world.

Using music as a form of magic is a beautiful and fresh concept in this genre. As someone who's always loved the idea of playing music, it gave me goosebumps. While it did take me awhile to get into this book, it has a great story, with twists and turns, and a convoluted plot. It would have received a higher rating, except for a few flaws, the biggest of which was the occasionally confusing writing style. There is a lot of head jumping in the narrative and -while I love a good head jumping story- some of these leaps were not made clear to the reader.

There is a prologue, set during WWII, before we jump forward to present day. The prologue is interesting; it concerns several characters introduced later on down the road. My issue with it is that we didn't get a good indication of how these characters went from their situation in the prologue to where they wound up in the present day. I gleaned the gist of what happened, so there are no serious repercussions in the book, but it felt like there was a hole in history.

For the most part, the characters feel well-rounded and we get to see different sides of them. Abigail, the haughty popular girl, was probably my favorite because she had such opposing elements in her personality.

The world of Roethagen where the quartet finds themselves had some very interesting elements, and I like the way that magic can be stored and used from a pipe system throughout the main city. There seem to be detailed rules of magic here, and ordinary things like eating a meal can make you more susceptible to someone's attack, which I found utterly fascinating. I would have liked to know more about the world, its history, magic, and social structure but, for all the time spent here, I never felt familiar with it. This could have been intentional, since the quartet spends more time trying to find a way home than learning about the culture, but I would have loved to feel more a part of this place.

I did enjoy how much the real world was involved in the story. The adventure isn't just contained in this other world, but its repercussions follow the characters back and forth.

This is a fun story and I'd recommend it for the tween crowd of Brandon Mull's Beyonders.

Thoughts on The Librarians Premiere

The Librarians has been one of my most anticipated shows of the year. As such, I wanted to share a few thoughts on last night's premiere.

We are returned to the fun but frantic world of the Library, full of mythical and magical treasures, without much change in the ten years that have passed. At least, until someone is murdered at the Library's door.

While still following the same basic premise of the original films (Librarian tries to out-hunt bad guys to a magical artifact), the series has upped the stakes a little by taking away a major asset and adding a sudden redistribution of magic back into the world. One can only imagine the repercussions, though I understand a dragon is somewhere in our future. The show feels like a natural and long-overdue extension of The Librarian universe and my only question is: Where has this show been all these years?

I loved that Noah Wyle, Jane Curtain, and Bob Newhart reprised their original film roles, and especially that Wyle (perhaps all three) will maintain a reoccurring role. Also, the new cast is fun and interesting. Many people were sold by the presence of Christian Kane (who could really blame them?) but all five of the new characters have great quirks and they all make me laugh. That's very important. I'm excited to see them develop. 

While there was despair, death, betrayal, and the potential destruction of earth as we know it, The Librarians kept to the sense of fun and adventure that made the movies such a joy to watch, and that in my opinion is key. A show like this can't become too serious, or it loses some of its irresistible flavor.

Not only will fans of the movies (and Christian Kane) like this show, but I think it could do a good job filling the void left by the end of Warehouse 13. Both shows share many similar qualities. Like, the basic premise. So Warehouse fans? Give it a shot!

The Librarians was, in short, everything I hoped it would be.

OBSIDIAN THREADS Blog Tour: Book Review

Obsidian Threads Blog Tour

Rho has awakened. Its acolytes will tear worlds apart to release their deity from its prison. Any hope of Rho's defeat lies with two people lost in a strange universe.

Kaden and Aren must learn to harness all their unique gifts if they are to rival the god of darkness reborn. They will not fight alone. A brilliant geneticist, a furry dwaro, two less than friendly elves, dragons, and a spunky red-haired computer stand with them. But if Kaden and Aren fail to reach their full potential, all of reality will be devoured until nothing remains but Rho...

Obsidian Threads
by Charlie Pulsipher
Sci-Fi/Fantasy

4 stars

A few of you may remember the review I did for the first book in this series, The Crystal Bridge, which turned into a discussion of the sci-fi genre as a whole because this was one of the first sci-fi books I actually really really enjoyed. 

Obsidian Threads is no different. While the sequel leans heavier into the fantasy side of the spectrum, it is -like its predecessor- truly a mix of sci-fi and fantasy. Dragons and AIs. Elves and dwarves and genetic serums. Nerds and prophets and ancient gods. The Lost Shards has it all.

And remember that wicked, unbelievable cliffhanger Pulsipher left us with after the first book? I'll set your fears at ease right now -there isn't another one. This is a satisfying conclusion and totally worth the wait. 

What I most loved about this book was how beautifully Pulsipher weaves the sci-fi and fantasy elements together. (Again, the aforementioned combo of dragons and artificial intelligence.) Additionally, we get the added dash of medieval politics, genetic experiments, and (omg) a love triangle.

As you might have noticed in my most recent review, I'm not a huge fan of the messy YA love triangles, but this one I like. First, it's not actually 'messy'. Second, it's not a simpering, whining YA romance*. It's as straight-forward as two (pretty cool) guys liking the same girl and respecting her enough not to pressure her and waiting for her to make a decision. There's also the humorous aspect, because neither guy can bring himself to dislike the other and it totally irks them both.

There is so much going on in this story, but it's so well-crafted that I never felt overwhelmed. Not only is an ancient Prophecy coming to bloody fruition on the world of Ealdar, not only does the Earth science research compound Omegaphil start experimenting with forces they don't understand, but we also get the twin gods added to the mix, watching it all unfold below them and constantly teasing the reader along. All of these stories and their characters twist and twirl around each other, never quite fully lining up UNTIL the explosive finale which, well, I never saw coming.

Mind = officially blown.

 

Would I recommend The Lost Shards series to others? You better believe it.



Charlie Pulsipher is a were-hamster and lemur enthusiast living in Southern with his lovely wife and neurotic dog. He writes sci-fi and fantasy, and sometimes both at the same time. He’s obsessed with surviving the inevitable zombie-pocalypse. It’s coming. Tell your friends.

He spends his time away from the keyboard hiking and camping in stunning Southern Utah. He also enjoys woodworking, painting, drawing, and pretending to have super powers.

He neglects his twitter account. @charliepulse

His velociraptor impression is worth seeing. Ask him to show you. It just may be the coolest thing about him.

www.charliepulsipher.com
https://www.facebook.com/charlie.pulsipher

*Not that all YA romance is, just that the YA love triangle can get pretty grating.

ENDLESS Blog Tour: Book Review

Whether you're stopping in for the blog tour or one of my regular minions, welcome and enjoy your stay!

Endless
A Modern Cinderella Tale

by Jaclyn Weist
3 ½ stars

Sydney dreams of stairs. Her nights are filled with an endless spiral staircase that she can't escape. Exhausted from running them every single night, there seems to be no escape. Add to that her obnoxious stepsisters and monstrous stepmother, Sydney's life is less than peachy. But things are about to change when Sydney's father signs her up for a magic summer camp to help her learn about her powers.

Endless is a new and interesting twist to the Cinderella story, both in the retelling of it and how Weist decided to use the modern day twist. This is distinguished from most modern retellings because she has kept the magic in play, as opposed to the more popular strictly contemporary versions. The magic added a great pizzazz and good depth for this almost-familiar world. It lent to a more complicated story, with a secret magic society that added a great aura of mystery.

My favorite part of this tale is the personal development from Sydney. In the beginning she puts up with the stepmonsters with little complaint. She is complacent of her position because 'that's just the way it is', but she's also insecure and self-deprecating. It's fun to watch her rebellious streak as she starts to take control of her own life.

As a YA romance, nothing about this book made me happier than the lack of a messy love triangle. And the peasants rejoiced!

The closest it gets is the threat of a love triangle, but it's totally in the range of acceptability. Plus, Sydney and her love interest Luke are completely adorable together.

What irks me in most Cinderella adaptations is when they don't provide a solid reason or explanation for why the father married such a repulsive woman, but Endless gave me a satisfactory answer for it that made the whole story work. It's not just a Cinderella adaptation; it can stand on its own legs.

Any flaws with this book probably fall under hastiness. Some things simply develop too quickly to be totally realistic and others could have done with a little more build-up, back story, or foreshadowing.

On the whole, this was a fun read, a light and fluffy romance with a strong female character. It's a definite feel-good story and would make a great weekend read.

Endless by Jaclyn Weist gets the

TO READ seal of approval.

Jaclyn Weist is an Idaho farm girl who grew up loving to read. She developed a love for writing as a senior in high school, when her dad jokingly said she was the next Dr. Seuss (not even close, but very sweet). She met her husband, Steve at BYU and they have six happy, crazy children that encourage her writing. After owning a bookstore and running away to have adventures in Australia, they settled back down in their home in Utah. Jaclyn now spends her days herding her kids to various activities and trying to remember what she was supposed to do next. 

You can purchase Jaclyn's books here.

Find Jaclyn on her blog: http://jaclynweist.blogspot.com

REVIEW: Hawkeye -My Life As A Weapon

Review

Hawkeye, vol 1 "My Life as a Weapon"

Writer

Matt Fraction

Artists

David Aja & Javier Pulido

Rating

4 stars

I'm fairly new to comic books. My major introduction to the complex Marvel universe so far have been the movies, so when it comes to picking up random comics from the library, it can be hit or miss as far as my understanding of what's going on.

Speaking as an inexperienced comic reader, this is a good place to start. There's definitely history I don't know about, but enough hints are dropped that I could get along. There aren't tons of characters you need to know, and no huge influences from past story lines.

These stories center around what Clint Barton does when he's not running around with the Avengers and they are FUN. Each issue is narrated in the tone of a classic PI story with true-to-form Clint sass, starting off with some great variation of, "Okay, I know this looks bad, but..."

I was hooked on the first issue. It's an average day for Clint, the odd-man out, the Avenger without superpowers or magic. He's normal, he's human, and that's okay. But it was really the dog that got me. Because, well, whatever. Read the thing. It got me right in the gut.

Another thing I like is Kate Bishop, an unknown to me before this, but evidently a regular for this series. She is (was?) another bearer of the Hawkeye mantel, and she keeps up with him in cheekiness and skill, so what's not to love? They've got a great dynamic that's just fun to watch unfold.

My Life As A Weapon is funny, it's different, it has a few warm heartfelt moments, and -hello- it's Hawkeye. Since I can't get a standalone movie with him, I'll gladly inhale these comics. Matt Fraction has done a marvelous job with the writing, and some of the visual storytelling is stunning. At first, I wasn't crazy about the artwork, but I've come to love the minimalist look.

There are a few risque jokes/situations, which is the reason it doesn't get 5 stars. Other than that, my biggest problem with this comic was my knack for turning too many pages at once. Not sure what the deal was. I guess it's just a talent I have to work on. ;)

Corny Joke Monday

Of course, it wouldn't be Monday without our corny joke!
I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down.


Now if you'll excuse me, Vol 2 is calling my name.