Review and should you preorder - Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things

The book: Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things
Grade: A-
Why i Picked it up: A fellow Goodreads member mentioned that the NetGalley catalog had an excerpt of a different book that I am eagerly anticipating. The first story featured in the catalog was Ms. Voigt's captivating excerpt of Mister Max.

Why i Finished it:
Each chapter's title's in the eGalley looked interesting and I began to wonder how Max, a 12-year old who has misplaced his parents, would live independently with only his 'Grammie' (grandma) supporting. Soon enough, he is rewarded for locating a missing kid and that begins a career in detecting and not-so-incidentally in fixing his client's lives.
There is also an underlying mystery - where are his parents? Does his father's farewell letter have a second hidden message? When will he be reunited? And when he is, will that be a good thing?

Blurb:

Newbery medalist Cynthia Voigt is back with a rollicking mystery in three acts!

     Max's parents are missing. They are actors, and thus unpredictable, but sailing away, leaving Max with only a cryptic note, is unusual even for them. Did they intend to leave him behind? Have they been kidnapped? 

     Until he can figure it out, Max feels it's safer to keep a low profile. Hiding out is no problem for a child of the theater. Max has played many roles, he can be whoever he needs to be to blend in. But finding a job is tricky, no matter what costume he dons.

     Ironically, it turns out Max has a talent for finding things. He finds a runaway child, a stray dog, a missing heirloom, a lost love. . . . So is he a finder? A detective? No, it's more. Max finds a way to solve people's problems--he engineers better outcomes for them. He becomes Mister Max, Solutioneer.

     Now if only he could find a solution to his own problems . . .

Quote:

"So. They had sailed without him. His heart hit bottom. He had well and truly missed the boat. But what boat headed for what destination? And why had he been lied to about the time?"

Source: NetGalley
If you want a second opinion, here is another reviewer's thoughts
Finally, to help you decide, you can find the excerpt in the Buzz Books 2013: Fall/Winter collection published by NetGalley.

Teaser Tuesday #51 - Odd Thomas - Odd Interlude

The book I'm reading is the first part of Dean Koontz's new Odd Thomas novella, Odd Interlude. His next Odd Thomas novel is releasing this Aug. As part of the buzz, a three part novella is being released in stages. This is from Page 2 of Part 1:

"Annamaria insists that mere hours earlier, I saved entire cities, sparing many hundreds of thousands from nuclear terrorism. Even if that is most likely true, I feel as though, in the process, I have forfeited a piece of my soul."

Really Mini Summary:

I find Odd Thomas books weirdly interesting and Odd's endearing quirkiness just draws me in.

First time visit? Check out photos of most beautiful US public libraries, John Updike's rules for reviews, and a question of whether hardbacks are dying.

Let me know if you follow this blog, I'll follow back! 

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To join into the TT fun, visit the link below!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Review: Artemis Fowl - The Lost Colony and The Time Paradox

Grade B+ Review of Artemis Fowl Books 5 & 6
Published by Disney-Hyperion


Why I read them: The 8th and final Artemis Fowl book is coming out July 2012, this seemed a good time to catch up!
 
The Lost Colony refers to a colony of Demons that have been out of sync with our universe for a thousand years. Artemis is on a race against time to prevent the humans from discovering their existence and hence exterminating them.
Quote from The Lost Colony:

"Sool was the king of red tape. As the dwarfs said, he couldn't make a decision if he was holding a jug of water and his bum-flap was on fire. "  

Plus: Artemis meets his nemesis, the young genius Minerva.  Plenty of witty comments and shenanigans occur - very fast paced. The God-names are obvious references to their intellect,
Minus: Her role wasn't wasn't as pivotal as I expected. Seemed like Minerva's story line ran out of steam about halfway through and it all became about Artemis per usual . The book overall wasn't memorable, but ended on a cliffhanger. Recommend that you borrow this novel AND have the next one ready to read!

Review: Intangible by J. Meyers

Rated: B+
Author and Title: J.Meyers' Intangible. Here's a teaser:

"It was quiet times like this that she wished she could tell them that she knew what they could do. Knew who they were. But it wasn't entirely hers to tell.
Not yet."

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift. Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

Plus: A pretty gripping read, fast-paced with enough action and story. The twins, Sera and Luke, were interesting, though Sera's character gets more prime-time in the book. Intangible's world is one where vampires, fairies and more are on the fringes of society, and at the moment unknown the world at large. I'd be interested in reading a sequel (there were hints at a next book) that dealt with how these paranormal creatures are revealed to the larger audience.

Minus: 

Just a little predictable in the sense that all the characters were who they traditionally are, in paranormal literature. Lilith - Mother of all vampires, a fey called Fey, so on. 
If I had some mad skills at healing or lighting a candle or anything, you can bet that I'd have been checking for limits, starting and stopping at will, minor heals using non-hands, whatever! Sera and Luke don't experiment enough for me.
 
Also, I kept wishing YA books would involve teens talking to their parents a little more. *le sigh*

Quotable paragraph from the book:

"Fey glanced up the street. The siren was getting louder, the ambulance closer. They needed to get out of there before it arrived. Luke was still gazing at the corner where Meghan had disappeared, along with everyone else on the street. Sera, however, was staring at someone farther down the block. Fey turned.
Jonas.
Fey gasped and her eyes widened in alarm. He'd seen it. She was sure of it. Meghan was one of his, and he was staring intently at Sera.
He knew she could heal."

I'd recommend this to: Younger readers or folks new to paranormal stories!
I received an ebook from the author for review

Teaser Tuesday #48: Intangible

The past few weeks I've been starting and stopping my way through J.Meyers' Intangible. Here's a teaser:

"It was quiet times like this that she wished she could tell them that she knew what they could do. Knew who they were. But it wasn't entirely hers to tell.
Not yet."

If you have a minute, I'm interested in what you think about the DRM battle going on with all publishers.

Really Mini Summary: 
Just a little predictable so far. Wishing YA books would involve teens talking to their parents a little more. *le sigh*
Let me know if you follow this blog, I'll follow back! 

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To join into the TT fun, visit the link below!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

The essential wizarding school story (non-Potter category)

Review: The Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones
Grade: A
Why I picked it up: I've recently picked up a few Diana Wynne Jones books, continuing my earlier fascination with her - beginning when I saw Hayao Miyazaki's beautifully depicted Howl's Moving Castle.
'The Year of the Griffin' I had read and quoted from last year, but decided I could re-read a few chapters while the baby slept.
Why I finished it: Super catchy storyline which brought to mind the fizz and excitement of the early Harry Potter "going to wizarding school" magic.

The Story:
A diverse group of students meet at magic university and unite under incompetent teachers. The Wizards' University is now decidedly short of funds, and the teachers are either obsessed with raising funds, going to the moon or training the students to avoid any real thinking.

From Goodreads: Comical tableaux involving spells that create deep pits and smelly winged monkeys alternate with suspenseful (yet always amusing) scenes involving tiny assassins who mean business. Jones's satirical pokes at academia, racial intolerance (the greenish and jinxed Claudia has mixed blood), and hierarchical societies (Ruskin is bucking the tyranny of the forgemasters to become the first dwarf wizard) keep the story lively, as do the realistic portrayals of her very odd and endearing cast of characters.

The Good:
She has two novels set in an imaginary world, Derkholm. The first novel, Dark Lord of Derkholm, is a recommended pre-read, though you can jump right into this one if you like (or if this is the book your library has).
The exciting bits are pretty fantastic, and so are the characters - a griffin, a marshwoman, a prince, another prince who has assassins after him, a pirate's daughter.. 
Who should read this? Fans of wizard schools, Harry Potter, Young Adult lit, School stories
Quote:

“What have we got next? Wasn’t there a lecture or something?”
“I’ll see,” said Elda. She hooked a talon into the bag around her neck and whisked out a timetable, then reared on her hindquarters to consult it. It already had claw holes in all four corners. “A class,” she said. “Foundation Spellcasting with Wizard Wermacht in the North Lab.”
“Where’s that?” Claudia inquired shyly.             “And have we time for coffee first?” Olga asked.

Other books by her reviewed:
Cart and Cwidder

Review: Cart and Cwidder by Diana Wynne Jones

Grade B+ Review of Dianna Wynn Jones' Cart and Cwidder (YA fantasy)

Why I picked it up: Any Diana WJ book is worth reading :)

Why I finished it: While the ending was a bit predictable, the story itself was so entertaining! Enough happened that I was keen to see what the next twist would be.

The story:
A family-run traveling troupe of musicians and performers begin their annual route through various towns across a war-torn country. The North vs. South war has gone on for years, making this family one of the few that cross the border, carrying the odd passenger or message. But this time, their route & life are thrown into disarray when one parent is killed, and the other decides to stop performing. It is left to the three children, and their current young passenger to continue on their own.
The family are all musically talented, but the youngest, quietest brother has a skillful touch with the Cwidder, an instrument that seems to be able to influence others when played.
 

Will the young adventurers evade the many bands of warriors and get to safety? Will they manage to earn their living on their own?
 

Overall: This novel is centered around Young Adults, but the story is captivating enough for any audience.
I read the 2nd book in the series, hoping to get more of the characters I so enjoyed in the first one. Even though this book is part of a quartet, I couldn't see any relation to books 2 and 3 (I don't have book 4 yet). So Cart and Cwidder reads as a standalone novel.

Teaser Tuesday #34: The Foundling's Tale Series by Cornish

I was in a slump of books, before starting the Foundling's tale series, by D. M. Cornish. I know I need to pick up things off my Goodreads TBR list (next time!), but somehow that never seems to happen. Luckily, I had time to drop into my library this week, and stumble across this unlikely YA series about monsters and monster slayers.

I say unlikely, because the writing is not your usual YA style. While the story is told from the point of view of a 15 year old boy, the style is slower and fuller than the average YA fantasy.

I've read both Foundling and The Foundling's Tale, Part Two: Lamplighter this week, and am hoping to finish The Foundling's Tale, Part Three: Factotum this week. Here's the teaser:

"Hpmf!" Europe pursed her lips. "What I'd like to know is this: when does adventure stop and violence begin? Answer me that and we'll both be wiser."
Fansitart had been right after all: lahzars were strange and discomfiting folk.

I'm looking forward to adding at least 5 new Follows this week, so let me know if you follow me, or have something new to say about ebooks/authors/publishing/fantasy.  I will be on your site, commenting away!

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Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.

News: Hunger Games Cast

The ardent YA fans out there would be very familiar with the popular series The Hunger Games. Starring young  lethal Katniss, and set in a dystopian world, this series has swept the blogging world by storm since the first book was released mid-2010. Suzanne Collins managed to create a maelstrom of emotion among her readers via one of the best YA books I've read.

The three book series (The Hunger Games,Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games), Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)) with its strong female lead, was quickly snapped up as a potential movie release, for 2012.

This weekend, Jennifer Lawrence has confirmed that she will indeed be playing Katniss Everdeen in the movie.

What's your take on this?

I know that there are tons of people out there who are right now creating their fantasy cast for The Hunger Games. Gale and Peeta, the two male leads, are probably the next biggest casting challenge.

Who would you cast as Gale and Peeta?

And if you haven't read these books, what are you waiting for?!

Review: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Grade: A-
GoodReads Page for Incarceron
Excerpts:
Page 1:
"He felt them before he heard them; vibrations in the ground, starting tiny and growing until they shivered in his teeth and nerves. Then noises in the darkness, the rumble of migration trucks, the slow hollow clang of wheel rims."

Page 30:
That was the first time he had heard the Prison laugh.
He shivered, remembering it now, a cold, amused chuckle that had echoed down the corridors. It had silenced Jormanric in mid-fury, had made the hairs on his own skin prickle with terror. 
The Prison was alive. It was cruel and careless, and he was inside it.


My Summary: 
Incarceron is a thought-experiment in prison science. It is a sentient building set in a dystopian future, meant to house criminals and any undesirables in a location unknown to anyone but the Warden. The entire infrastructure is separate from any external factor by sealing it with its original inhabitants and now their descendants. The rest of the world believe the prison experiment to be a success, and imagine the prison to be filled with content souls living a sybaritic life.
Inside, it is a barbaric story. The local thug-King of a roving band within the Prison keeps a rough court inside. Within it is Finn, who remembers flashes of his rich past, despite being told he is cell-born. 
The Warden's daughter Claudia, is also in a prison. One of her father's making - meant to marry the heir to the Kingdom  in The World Outside. Finn and Claudia strike up an unlikely connection and their struggle to escape their respective prisons begins.

The Good:
Each chapter begins with a quote, which gives us glimpses into why and who/what Incarceron is. Very interesting to me was the description of the prison and its dystopian life. The outside vs. inside juxtaposition kept me thinking, as the folks outside who have hi-tech medicine, gadgetry, have chosen to live in a frozen 17th century world (almost a kind of prison, really). 
The Bad:
While clearly targeted at a YA audience, I would have liked to see some more characters and a more detailed understanding of the political clime such a world would have risen in. There were issues with the changing viewpoint of the storyline, it seemed done with a heavy hand. My benchmark for this has to be The Time-Traveller's Wife (A+ Review) which did a great job of moving across space and time and the two main characters.
Overall:
A SOLID tale, one I would recommend to all my YA readers. Enough intrigue and excitement to keep the reading going, and fast-paced enough to satisfy a thriller/mystery fan.

Teaser Tuesday #25 - Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynn Jones

This week I'm on a Diana Wynn Jones readathon!

I borrowed Howl's Moving Castle from my library after watching the anime movie it was based on by Studio Ghibli. The book was so charming, different from the movie and still a wonderful read. Since then, I've read two other books by her - House of Many Ways and Fire & Hemlock which were really fantastic. Both were fantasy, but didn't recourse to the usual mix of mythology we see out there. From Year of the Griffin, Chapter 1:

“Hush!” said the griffin, probably whispering, too. It sounded like a very small scream.
“It may mean something magical.”

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Do visit my Blogger Spotlight on Karen from The Slowest Bookworm
Fun Posts in December:
Review: Carousel Tides by Sharon Lee
Review: Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
8 Publishing Trends of 2010

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
 

Teaser Tuesday #24 - Runemarks by Joan Harris

Joan Harris' fantasy debut Runemarks surprised me with its depth of Norse mythology references, and its brave, young and immensely likable heroine Maddy.

She turned to glare at Maddy, her fierce little teeth bared like a ferret's. "You open this door right now", she said.

You really, really, don't want me to."

I just finished this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the fanciful stroll through characters like Odin, Loki and the Norse Underworld tale.

Review: The Sweep series by Cate Tiernan

Grade: B+/A-

Pages: Approx 200 in each book
Summary: Morgan thinks witchcraft is laughable when her best friend Bree drags her to a meeting of the Cirrus Coven. But during a cermony led by Cal, Morgan's long-time crush, Morgan feels a shock. Suddenly everything looks brighter, clearer. Morgan doesn't want to get involved with witchcraft-but she feels like witchcraft is choosing her. 

Overall: The Sweep series by Cate is a light read, yet still really interesting. I felt like this was the sorbet course, a hiatus, amidst my reading of George RR Martin's much weightier tomes. Every novel covers Magick, young love and fitting in (or not!).

However, a novel in the Sweep series is so short that it is almost a chapter in the lives of the characters.
Plus: The Wiccan research is pretty intense, and the books give an authentic feel to being in a coven and the troubles/challenges a young witch (Morgan) might encounter. The first few books all deal with Morgan, and her first two loves. She slowly begins to learn about her abilities, and her heritage, and has to make touch choices in order to grow in power and understanding.
Minus: Please read as many books together as possible, the story feels very abrupt if you don't.

 

I would recommend it to: All YA readers, ages 10 and up. Adults will also enjoy this series - there is enough depth in the story to entertain a more discerning reader. Also: P.C. Cast readers, Lili St. Crow and Rachel Vincent fans.

Mairelon the Magician by Patricia C. Wrede

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Mairelon the Magician

by Patricia C. Wrede

Mairelon the Magician (Mairelon, #1) 4.03  ·  rating details  ·  985 ratings  ·  75 reviews

There's magic in the streets of London, there's sorcery in the village lanes; there's a plot that has all of Society talking in an England that never was, but should have been...      

(from www.goodreads.com)

Grade: B
The story follows a young 15+ orphan who gets by on the streets of pre-mechanical revolution England. I pegged the timeline at around the Regency era. Kim is surviving (just barely) on filching stuff from people, and disguising herself as a ruffian-esque boy. She gets caught in a travelling magician's caravan on a job, and he offers to teach her the trade. This begins the better part of the story, with Kim and Mairelon tracing the trail of a magical platter in order to clear his name of its theft.
Plus: The language/ thieves cant used by Kim is apt and fits into 18th century England. Even the way Kim begins to learn to speak a better class of English is believable and endearing. The story kept me interested, and I enjoyed reading some of the more comic scenes - a la a Comedy of Errors style.
Minus: This book is clearly targeted at a YA audience, and I didn't see much depth to the story. The lack of a romantic note, or a genuine mystery is a bit sad. There was a bit of a mystery involved around the Silver magical platter Kim and Mairelon are tracing, but that was not strong or captivating for me.
Overall: I am interested in Kim as a character, and going to pick up the next book as well, to see where her story goes. The other characters weren't as memorable, but all in all, the story made for a very decent read.

I would recommend this to: Most YA fans, Tamora Pierce fans and folks under twenty.

Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Grade: B

Pages: 374
Summary:

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is black. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls. 

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.


Plus: A quick take on a dystopian world, where kids are bizarrely put into the Maze as part of an experiment to showcase the really smart ones. I enjoyed the second half of the book, and the story got better once the girl woke up. The ending is terrific, and has a surprising twist.

Guest Post - Beth Fantaskey: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

I guest-posted at Kate's lovely site called I just wanna Sit here and Read - with a Review on a book and its follow-up novelette by Beth Fantaskey:

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Click to check it out! An excerpt from my review: 

"Characters: The character of high-school student Jessica was realistic, and snarky. Her friends were interesting, and the sense of small-town america was spot on. The multiple love interest angle J. struggles with was fun too."

Summary from GoodReads:
The undead can really screw up your senior year ...
Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé.

Teaser Tuesday #8 - Sweep Series 12- Eclipse

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.

I have been reading the YA Sweep series almost continuously since I found it, all in one fell swoop. While the stories are great, a book in this series feels like a chapter in the story line. 

The teaser is from the 12th Book (the pace of the writing means this is only in real-time terms about 6 months or so from the 1st Book). The heroine Morgan, a 16-year old hereditary witch is helping the younger Alisa, newly come to her powers.

"You will be able to do this. You have all the support you need. You're a strong, beautiful witch, and with this one act, one spell, you will set your life on an exhilarating path."

This wasn't how Morgan usually talked, but I had the feeling it was who she really was.

I chose this teaser particularly because I am making some tough decisions today - I hope reading this helps me and everyone else who needs a boost of confidence!

On a lighter note, leave a comment here and on my previous post to help me choose the name for this blog from the top ten best names submitted.

Teaser Tuesday #5 - The Spook's Apprentice

 My Teaser is from the first book I am reading by Joseph Delaney - The Spook's Apprentice, a YA novel following the apprenticeship of a Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

The Spook laughed softly. 'That's one of the first and most  lessons that an apprentice has to learn,' he said; 'the difference between waking and dreaming'. Some never learn that'.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 

Grab your current read, Open to a random page, Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page, avoid Spoilers.