The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman

Author: Paul Fleischman
Illustrator:  Bagram Ibatoulline
Title: The Matchbox Diary

Publication: March 12, 2013

Publisher:  Candlewick Press

Genre: Childrens

Pages: 40 pp.
Audience: 6-9 yrs.

Rating: 5 out of 5 
Source: Borrowed

Synopsis from Amazon
Newbery Medalist Paul Fleischman and Bagram Ibatoulline tell a breathtaking immigration tale with appeal across generations.

"Pick whatever you like most. Then I’ll tell you its story." 
When a little girl visits her great-grandfather at his curio-filled home, she chooses an unusual object to learn about: an old cigar box. What she finds inside surprises her: a collection of matchboxes making up her great-grandfather’s diary, harboring objects she can hold in her hand, each one evoking a memory. Together they tell of his journey from Italy to a new country, before he could read and write — the olive pit his mother gave him to suck on when there wasn’t enough food; a bottle cap he saw on his way to the boat; a ticket still retaining the thrill of his first baseball game. With a narrative entirely in dialogue, Paul Fleischman makes immediate the two characters’ foray into the past. With warmth and an uncanny eye for detail, Bagram Ibatoulline gives expressive life to their journey through time — and toward each other.

Thoughts:A beautiful story about connecting generations through unique method that showcased the journey one family made to America. It begins when the little girl visits her grandfather and she's fascinated by what seems to be his own personal collection of books and other things. However, one item catches her eye, his matchbox diary, which contains an item to commemorate the experiences he and his family had to get to where they are now. He wasn't able to read or write, so he put items in the box that meant something to him. Memories of the voyage from Italy to America or odd jobs they had to take or starting school for the first time. My favorite part about this book other than the way he chooses to remember the past are the illustrations. Ibatoulline gives vibrancy to the story that Fleischman has crafted. Overall, a great story of about bridging the gap and showing the younger generations that the past is important because it shows where you've come from.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Title:Beautiful Creatures

Publication: December 2009

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Pages: 563

Audience: 15 and up
Rating: 5 out of 5 
Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover):

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse the has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens,. murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. 

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. 

    In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

My thoughts:

I purchased this book to read during Spring Break as well as Let's Pretend This Never Happened to round out my Amazon order for free shipping. I'm really glad I did. I read the Before chapter, titled The Middle of Nowhere, and knew instantly that I was going to love this novel. That little chapter describes my home town, so I was personally invested from the very beginning. I read bits and pieces during the school semester, but the weekend after I graduated I devoured this book. It has been so very long since a book has sucked me in and made me want to stay up all hours until I have finished. 

The characters seem like real people I know. Cricket mentioned that she felt Ethan was more like a girl character as we knew his thoughts and feelings, whereas Lena acted more like a boy in the sense that she was reserved and a mystery to the reader. I think it just had to to do with the fact that the book is from Ethan's perspective and Lena is supposed to be a mystery for us to unravel with Ethan. Ridley is such a bad girl. She is a loveable bad girl. I liked her until an incident made me hate her, but she ended up redeeming herself. She is still a bad girl, but I love watching her interactions with the people of Gatlin. Marian the Librarian is just a phenomenal character (my opinion may be biased since I am a librarian now). I never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but I know enough to say that I think Marian is a female Giles. I loved loved loved the three sisters- Prudence, Mercy, and Grace- they were a complete hoot. I also liked Amma, Ethan, Link, Lena, and Macon. As I said, I knew I would love this book and I do.

I have recently bought the other three, which was a challenge because they were sold out at various stores. I had to buy them at different stores throughout town. So, I have the second one and I'm about 50 pages in. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. I am taking a break so I do not over do it and become bored in the middle of one, but I plan to continue to read the series. If you see it at the library or book store, pick it up! If you know you love paranormal, young adult, southern, fantasy (or any of the genres) TRY IT! I really enjoyed it and hope you will or do too.

Review: Forbidden Trilogy by Kimberly Kinrade

Title: The Forbidden Trilogy

Author: Kimberly Kinrade

Publication: November 21, 2012

Publisher: Daring Books

Source: Publisher

Audience: 15 and up

Amazon|B&N|Goodreads

Synopsis: 

Forbidden Mind

49% of Americans believe their government officials are honest. I don't know these officials, or their supporters, but I know their secrets, and 49% of Americans are wrong.

My employers pay me well to be right, to know things others can't. But I don't know why they brought that boy in, strapped to a stretcher, barely conscious. He asked me for help when I could give none.

I'm a wealthy spy, a talented artist, a martial arts black belt, and a prisoner. They tell me that on my eighteenth birthday, I will be released, free to go to the college of my dreams. It's my eighteenth birthday, and a man in black is at my door. I know he's not here to free me.

I know, because I can read minds.

My name is Sam, and this is my story.

So begins the tale of Sam and Drake--from the time they link minds, forging a bond that leads to an unconventional romance--to their fight for survival against the corrupt, twisted organization known as 'Rent-A-Kid.'  

"...a thrilling, dark and deeply romantic read that had me sitting on the edge of my seat and eagerly awaiting the next installment." ~ Refracted Light Young Adult Book Reviews

"The plot is very ALIAS and DARK ANGEL-like with X-MEN as its backdrop (awesome combo!). Forbidden Mind BLEW my mind!" ~Sour Skittles Book Blog

Winner of 2011 Forward National Literature Award

Forbidden Fire

"She escaped, but she'll never be free."

"Time held no meaning as my mind darted in and out of memories. Past and present collided to create a full-sensory collage out of my life: playing hide-n-seek with my best friends Luke--who always cheated by walking through walls when he was about to be caught--and Lucy; Mr. Caldrin critiquing my sketches and offering ideas to make them more realistic; targets changing faces, blending into the same person, their thoughts rippling through my mind like waves. Through it all, a demon stalked me from the shadows of my memories, never quite showing its face, but crouching, waiting.

And then I dreamed...."

Sam and Drake may have escaped, but they aren't free—not with a powerful Seeker after them. As Sam struggles with the ethics of her new powers and embraces a blossoming physical relationship with Drake, Lucy and Luke face challenges of their own.

With forces coalescing inside and outside the Rent-A-Kid dorms, it's only a matter of time before the fire they started forces each of them to make choices they can't undo. But will it be enough to save them?

Forbidden Life

The road to redemption begins in darkness.

A sinister force waits for them in darkness, ready to devour their powers and take their lives.

Sam's baby is the key to a lock that must never been opened. To keep her child safe, Sam will do anything.

Drake might have found a way to get his powers back and save his family, but is it too late?

Luke and Lucy uncover secrets in an organization they thought they could trust, and the lives of all Rent-A-Kid children are at stake.

In this last Forbidden Trilogy installment, the secrets to Rent-A-Kid will finally be revealed.

My Thoughts: This is my first experience with Kimberly Kinrade's writing and as a result of reading this series I'm read for more of her work. The character development is amazing making each character real and easy to relate to. Each book builds on the previous and you are on edge for the next, like any great series would. Luckily with this complete set I didn't have to wait. 

Drake and Sam would have to be my favorite characters. With Lucy and Luke a close second   Drake and Sam are so different yet so much the same. One is encouraged to use their power during "missions" and the other struggles to keep their power hidden. Their struggles both internal and external kept me turning the pages and I just had to know how it all ended. I was quite happy with the ending as a matter of fact. This is a great ready for anyone who loves sci-fi. 

Author Bio:

Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for children, YA and adults and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal novels Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire and her illustrated children's fantasy chapter books Lexie World, and Bella World, all on Amazon.

She lives with her three little girls who think they're ninja princesses with super powers, her two dogs who think they're humans and her husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is the love of her life and writing partner.

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Interview, Excerpt & Giveawaya: Never Too Far by Thomas Christopher

Title: Never Too Far
Author: Thomas Christopher
Genre: YA Dystopian 

Publication: May 10th 2012

Amazon|Goodreads

Synopsis:

A harrowing story of love and survival.

In a future of scarce resources, where the possession of gas and diesel is punishable by death, a teenage boy and a pregnant girl must save their impoverished family. They risk their lives on a terrifying journey to sell stolen fuel on the black market.

Excerpt: 

Mary surprised Joe by knocking his arms away. She was stronger than she looked. Then she swept her legs off the bed and sprang to her feet. She took two steps and turned to face him as if to prove there was nothing wrong with her. But there was definitely something wrong. She wavered a moment. Her already white face turned ghostly. Her eyelids trembled. She seemed to realize she was becoming faint, and what that meant.

“I’m fine,” she said. “You don’t have to go.”

Joe got ready to catch her in case she fell, but somehow she held herself steady.

“It’s okay,” Joe said. “Just sit down. I will go find some food.”

Joe inched toward her. He was afraid to grab her again because she might try to wrench free once more and really fall. When she coughed, her little shoulders jerked and her round stomach jumped. Her head was drooped low and her hair hung down so he couldn’t see her face at all.

“Come on, lay down,” Joe said.

She didn’t move. Joe stepped toward her, but before he could put his arms around her, she tilted forward and rested the crown of her head against his chest. He slid his arms along the sides of her hard belly and around her waist. Then he shifted her toward the bed again. She moved like a bundle of empty sacks in his arms. He set her gently on the bed before he bent down to lift her feet onto the sheets.

After he sat in the chair, Mary asked him, “What if you don’t come back?”

“That’s not going to happen,” Joe said.

“How do you know?”

“I just know. You have to trust me.”

Author Bio:

Thomas Christopher grew up in Iowa. He received his MFA from Western Michigan University. His short stories have appeared in The Louisville Review, The MacGuffin, Redivider, and Cooweescoowee. He was also awarded an Irving S. Gilmore Emerging Artist Grant and was a finalist for the Matthew Clark Prize in Fiction. He lives in Wisconsin with his wife and son.

Website|Goodreads|Facebook|Twitter 

Interview: 

Tell us about Never Too Far?

Well, it’s set in a future that is much hotter and where gas and oil are running out. In fact, it’s illegal and possessing it is a capital crime. The hero is a sixteen-year-old boy named Joe, whose family is very poor and live in Dust Bowl-like conditions on the plains. One day, he finds a wrecked vehicle that belongs to the authoritarian city-state of Chikowa. And against his family’s wishes, especially his older brother Frank, Joe siphons the vehicle’s diesel and takes off on a treacherous journey to sell the fuel on the city’s black market. Fuel is worth a tremendous amount of money because it is so scarce. Joe takes along a pregnant orphan girl named Mary that his family recently took in. They use a cover story about Mary’s baby being breech and needing a hospital to throw off suspicion. She barely talks at first and hides beneath a big hat she always wears. The relationship that develops between them is one of the big themes, especially after she gets sick. The whole journey leads through a hostile landscape of desert and forests until they reach the city, where they get caught in a dark world of fear corruption they might not escape from.

Where did the idea for the novel come from?

The idea for Never Too Far came from two sources, really. Several years ago, my wife gave me a book called The Long Emergency by James Howard Kunstler about the consequences of running out of oil. Around the same time, I also read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I really loved it. It was dark and ominous, but also full of tenderness between the boy and his father. I started thinking about a future where oil was scarce, and global warming had heated the planet, and some kind of desperate journey, like in The Road. I first wrote it as a short story, but I liked it so much that I turned it into a novel.   

The environment is wide raging in the story— arid plains, deep forests, and a city on a lake. Is it based on any specific area?

Yes. Although the country in the novel is a fictional one called the Meshica Union, it’s really based on the geography of the U.S. that stretches from eastern Iowa to the shores of Lake Michigan. I didn’t want to be bound to actual places and cities because I wanted the story to have more of a universal and timeless feel.

Who is the audience for Never Too Far?

I would say that both adults and young adults would enjoy this novel very much. Fans of dystopian fiction, coming-of-age stories, adventure and suspense would like it as well.

Tell us a little about yourself?

Sure. I grew up on an acreage near Grinnell, IA.  As a kid, I loved roaming all the fields and creeks that surrounded us. We also raised sheep, and I helped birth the lambs. I remember very fondly feeding bottles of milk to orphan lambs in our basement.  After high school, I hiked the 130 mile Adirondack Trail in upset New York. And after I graduated from college, I lived out west for a while in Seattle and Montana. I did a lot of hiking in the mountains out there. Then I went to graduate school in Michigan to studying writing and that’s where I was lucky enough to meet my wife. She was the manager of the hotel I was working at. I taught writing and literature for a while at Western Michigan University, Creighton University, and a few community colleges. Then came the birth of our son. I now split my time between writing and chasing after a very active 18 month old boy.

Giveaway: This giveaway is hosted by the author and/or Xpresso Book Tours and is open internationally. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter. 

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Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster

Author: Jamie McGuire

Publication: August 14, 2012

Publisher: Simon & Suhuster 

Source: Publisher/Author

Genre: Romance

Audience: 17+

Amazon|Goodreads

Synopsis: Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn't drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

My Thoughts: This is an intense, emotional read and I enjoyed every minute of it. Travis and Abby are meant for each other. They each have enough emotional baggage to fill an entire room and deep beneath the surface there is more to each of them. I love that Abby doesn't take any mess from Travis and strives hard not to be like the other girls at school when it comes to Travis. 

I was able to see through Travis and his stunts pretty early on in the book. It's pretty clear that Travis has issues with women but the why and how kept me intrigued  Travis' ability to be himself with Abby is refreshing.

I had a couple of complaints one is I find it hard to believe that Abby is that naive about Travis' feelings toward her and second, that Eastern University seems more like high school. One reason for this is that Eastern seems to be a small university. Other than that this is a must read but it is not for the faint hearted.    

Audio Review: Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin

Title: Big Girl Small

Author: Rachel Dewoskin

Narrator: Christine Williams

Publisher: Blackstone Audio

Format: Unabridged Audio

Length: 9 hrs: 58 mins

Publication: March 29, 2011

Source: Library

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 5 of 5

Amazon|Goodreads

Synopsis: Judy Lohden is your above-average sixteen-year-old—sarcastic and vulnerable, talented and uncertain, full of big dreams for a big future. With a singing voice that can shake an auditorium, she should be the star of Darcy Academy, the local performing arts high school. So why is a girl this promising hiding out in a seedy motel room on the edge of town?

The fact that the national media is on her trail after a controversy that might bring down the whole school could have something to do with it. And that scandal has something—but not everything—to do with the fact that Judy is three feet nine inches tall.

My Thoughts: It can be hard to fall in love with a story when there is so much pain but i did just that with Judy's story. Judy is like every other teenage girl with the exception that she is a little person and attends a prestigious performing arts high school. Changing to a new school junior year can be difficult and Judy does her best to fit in and that includes participating parties and sampling drugs and alcohol. 

Judy is a great character. Like all teenagers she faces challenges and peer pressure. Most of Judy's behavior was based on fitting in and being liked. She made bad decisions that ended with no consequences and others that had major consequences. I love how Dewoskin stays true to Judy being a teenager. Even after all Judy has been through her thinking continues to be that of a sixteen year old. 

This is an unabridged single voiced audio. The original work is appropriate for audio adaption. Christine Williams did a wonderful job with the narration. She lifted Judy from the printed page and gave her life. It was not difficult to identify the various characters during the production. Pacing was well maintained throughout the production and the plot flows without interruption. 

Excerpt: A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.  A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood. 

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.  An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains. 

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince. 

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

Excerpt: 

I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hour when I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me from behind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showed up beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”

I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my father had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in his appearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a man he was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how his blue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. It was such a stark contrast to his pale – almost white – skin and dark hair. Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height, broad shoulders and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence that was far more imposing than my best friend’s.

My gaze settled on his face.

I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I gave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long time ago.

I straightened to my full height and mustered all the courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.

Big mistake.

The confident smirk didn’t leave his face for even a moment.

“Like what you see?”

“A bit full of yourself, aren’t you?” I scoffed, annoyed by his audacity.

He stepped forward, closer to me, and leaned his head toward mine.

“Don’t I have the right to be?”

He knew he looked good and wasn’t about to act like he didn’t.

“Whatever,” was my oh-so-brilliant comeback.

My shoulders sagged with defeat as I took a step back, unsettled by how close he was now. I rolled my eyes and did a one-eighty, not quite in the mood to play whatever game this stranger was proposing.

I would soon realize that I was about to play his game whether I liked it or not.

He grabbed my arm and turned my body to face him. This motion alone made every single internal alarm I had within me go off in a frenzy.

This man was danger and I knew it. I tried to wriggle away from his touch, but I was no match for his strength.

“Tell me your name,” he commanded.

I was about to refuse, but was horrified to find myself blurting out my name in response.

“Sofia Claremont.”

As soon as I revealed my name, his eyes lit up with a kind of sinister approval. Then he reached for my face and traced his thumb over my jaw line.

“Hello, Sofia Claremont. You’re one stupid girl for taking a walk alone at this time of night. You never know what kind of evil a pretty little thing like you could happen to come by.”

I found myself wondering exactly what kind of evil he was. But I was suddenly overcome by the sensations that were surrounding me. My senses took in everything at once. I heard the waves, felt the sand, smelled the ocean salt, tasted the flavor of cherry and saw the stranger’s manic appearance as he stuck a needle to my neck. The effect was instant. I was barely able to gasp, much less scream. I went from sensing everything to sensing absolutely nothing.

My last conscious thought was that I may never see Ben again.

You can also get an exclusive FREE “sneak preview” of the first 6 chapters by clicking here!: http://forrestbooks.com/sneakpeek.html

(Make sure you check it out now because this preview will not be available for 

long). 

Author Bio: 
I've been telling stories pretty much since I could talk. Instead of having my parents read me bed-time stories, I would prefer to share with them my own made up tales.

As I grew older, I developed a passion for the fantasy genre.

I’m an avid reader and a hopeless Potterhead.

If you sign up for personal email updates from me here: www.forrestbooks.com ,
you'll be the first to hear about my new releases.

LINKS:

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