All posts by Kasey

About Kasey

Reads things. Writes things. Fluent in sarcasm. Willful optimist. Cat companion, chocolate connoisseur, coffee drinker. There are some who call me Mom.

Top Ten Movies, Songs, and Stories that Inspired The Rift Uprising by Amy S. Foster

Guest Post, News and Fun, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Author Amy S. Foster joins me today to talk about what inspired her to write The Rift Uprising, a new teen sci-fi that promises to keep readers on the edge of their seats. I know I’m anxious to read it! Also, be sure you stop by the bottom of this post to enter for a chance to win one of three giveaway copies of The Rift Uprising! There are also links to the other blogs on the tour to check out and some other information about the book. First I’ll let Amy share with us the top ten movies, songs, and stories that inspired her to create her novel. Here’s the list…

Top Ten Movies, Songs and Stories that Inspired The Rift Uprising

1. Red Dawn (Movie)

2. Sliding Doors (Movie)

3. “2-1” by Imogene Heap (Song)

4. Legend by Marie Lu

5. A Brief History Of Time by Stephen Hawking

6. Buffy The Vampire Slayer

via GIPHY

7. “Cool Girl,” by Tove Lo (ok too recent to have inspired the book, but the song is a PERFECT fit!)

Note: You can find the video here. I didn’t post it because there’s some strong language and sensual imagery.

8. Gattaca

9. Stargate (the TV show, not so much the movie, but I hear they’re doing a reboot!)

via GIPHY

10. God And The Multiverse by Victor J. Stenger

 About The Rift Uprising by Amy S. Foster

Available October 4, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Normal seventeen-year-old girls go to high school, binge watch TV shows all weekend, and flirt with everyone on the face of the Earth. But Ryn Whitaker is trying to save it.

Ryn is a Citadel. A soldier. A liar. Ryn and her fellow Citadels were specially chosen and trained to guard a Rift—one of fourteen unpredictable tears in the fabric of the universe that serve as doorways to alternate Earths. Unbeknownst to her family, Ryn leaves for school each day and then reports for duty as an elite, cybernetically-altered soldier who can run faster, jump farther, and fight better than a Navy SEAL—which comes in handy when she’s not sure if axe-wielding Vikings or any number of other terrified and often dangerous beings come through the Rift. A fine-tuned weapon, Ryn is a picture-perfect Citadel. But that’s all about to change.

When a young man named Ezra is pulled through the Rift, Ryn finds herself immediately drawn to him, despite her training. What starts as a physical attraction quickly grows deeper, and Ezra’s curiosity throws Ryn off balance when he starts questioning the Rifts, the mysterious organization that oversees them, and the Citadels themselves—questions that lead Ryn to wonder if the lies she’s been telling her family are just the surface of a much bigger lie told to her. As Ryn and Ezra desperately try to get to that truth, they discover that each revelation blurs the line between the villains and the heroes even more.

About Amy S. Foster

Web Site | Twitter | Facebook

Amy S. Foster is a celebrated songwriter, best known as Michael Bublé’s writing partner. You might recognize her work in his four hit singles, including “Home” and “Haven’t Met You Yet.” She has also collaborated with Destiny’s Child, Diana Krall, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban and a host of other artists. She is also the author of the novel When Autumn Leaves. When she’s not in a studio in Nashville, Amy lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. Amy is the daughter of singer B.J. Cook and the legendary music producer, David Foster. Fun fact about Amy: Her extended family tree includes Bella and Gigi Hadid, Sara and Erin Foster and Brody and Brandon Jenner, and Clay Aiken! The Rift Uprising, her YA debut, will be released on October 4, 2016.

Check out the other stops on the tour!

Stop by and see some of the other posts about The Rift Uprising. Also don’t forget to enter for your chance to win one of three giveaway copies of the book below!

10/17: The Book Swarm – Review

10/18: The Wandering Bark Books – Excerpt

10/19: Such A Novel Idea – Guest Post

10/20: A Leisure Moment – Review

10/21: I Heart Romance & YA – Top 10

10/22: Owl Always Be Reading – Review

10/23: Just Commonly – Review

10/24: The Story Sanctuary – Top 10 – you are here!

10/25: Vibin With Books – Review

10/26: Avid Reader – Review

10/27: The Litaku – Excerpt

10/28: Swoony Boys Podcast – Review

10/29: No BS Book Reviews – Q&A

10/30: Books Are Love – Excerpt

10/31: Stuck In Books – Q&A

11/1: Big Books and Grande Lattes – Review

11/2: Fiction Fare – Review

11/3: Here’s to Happy Endings – Review

11/4: The Novel Orange – Review

11/5: The Irish Banana Review – Q&A

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Review: The Friendship Experiment by Erin Teagan

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Middle Grade 8-12, , , ,

The Friendship Experiment
Erin Teagan
HMH Books for Young Readers
Available November 1, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Middle school isn’t at all what Maddie hoped it would be. Not when her best friend has changed schools. Not without the calm, sure presence of her grandfather. If only friendships were as simple, as reliable as science. Though she finds herself surrounded by new potential friends, Maddie can’t help but think about all the reasons those students are wrong or annoying. To cope with her losses, she writes Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in her journal. When Maddie’s new would-be friends read some of the SOPs that features how to escape them, they feel hurt and betrayed. Maddie realizes that pushing people away hurts her, too. In a dark moment, Maddie’s grandmother gives her some powerful advice about saying sorry. Maddie decides to do just that, even though it’s hard, and hope it’s enough to fix the mess she’s made with her friends and family.

I found Maddie likeable immediately. She loves science and conducting experiments so much that her fashion-focused sister despairs of her. But Maddie finds friends who share her interests, and even convinces her dad to let her volunteer in a real lab. I loved that dedication. The von Willebrand disease also made for an unusual story element. I don’t know enough about the disease to really say how accurate the portrayal was, but it certainly felt as though it was a part of the story without distracting from it or being the central focus of either Brooke or Maddie’s characters.

Though adults in Maddie’s life play a role in her drive toward resolution, Maddie herself has to take the action and make the choices that lead her to the end of the story. I loved how present her thoughts about her grandfather remain. It felt like a very realistic response to grief.

If you liked The Fourteenth Goldfish or Counting by 7s give this spunky, science-loving story a try.

Recommended Age 8 up.

Cultural Elements
Maddie and her sister both suffer from von Willebrand disease, which causes extended or excessive bleeding. I don’t remember race descriptions in particular, but I think all the characters are white middle class.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Maddie’s mom brings home a painting that shows a nearly naked lady (she’s draped in a scarf.) Maddie and her sister feel pretty grossed out, and they ask more than once for their mom to remove the painting from its place above the fireplace. Later, the family learns the identity of the subject of the painting and decide to quietly move it somewhere more private.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
This isn’t violence, but because of the von Willebrand, both Maddie and Brooke suffer from serious nosebleeds. At one point a boy hits his head in soccer practice and his nose also starts bleeding.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Goblin Crown by Robert Hewitt Wolfe

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,

The Goblin Crown
Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Turner Publishing
Available November 15, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

A strange force drags Billy, Lexi and Kurt to the land of goblins, where prophecy claims a goblin king will come in the hour of goblins’ greatest need. Hop, a timid soldier in the goblin army, knows there can be no greater hour of need than right now. The ruthless General Sawtooth plans to lead what remains of the goblin army into battle against a foe that cannot be defeated. He will only bring them death. So when the goblin crown pulses with the glow that announces the king’s arrival, Hop is determined to find him and see him crowned, even if he has to fight all of goblin-kind to do it.

I feel like I have a love-hate relationship with the “through the doorway into a magical world” kinds of stories. I’m always worried that they’ll come off cheesy or too predictable. And of course, it is a bit predictable in the same way that a romance novel is. I didn’t mind that, actually. Another thing I liked is that this story features a more diverse cast than I’ve seen in a book like this before. I loved having Hop’s point-of-view, too. He cracked me up. I loved that he constantly faces challenges that force him to overcome his natural tendency—running and hiding—in order to do the right thing, usually the last thing he feels like doing. The fact that he so often puts aside his fear and responds bravely made me really love that guy.

I liked Billy and Lexi, too. Even Kurt the football star shows surprising depth throughout the course of the story. I liked that Kurt doesn’t get pushed to the side totally and that he has some valuable input in helping his allies pursue victory.

Of course, there were some really funny moments where cultures clashed—modern day humans vs. goblins. I loved that. The only real complaint I had was the graphic nature of some of the battle scenes. I feel like the author wanted the goblins to read like these really brutal warriors with very different traditions, especially with regard to battle, than we have. And that definitely comes across clearly. But some of the descriptions (though brief) were more intense than I expected for a novel which otherwise reads like a middle grade story. See more detailed content information below.

Recommended Age 12 up. (Other than the violence, this reads to me like a middle grade story. Younger readers less sensitive to or less concerned about violent content may be interested in this book.

Cultural Elements
Billy is half African American and half Irish. He talks about how hard it has been to feel like an outsider everywhere, never really belonging to one group or another. Later he discovers a whole kingdom of humans who look like him. Lexi is Filipino. Kurt is white. Other major characters are goblins.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently. (Just twice, I think.)

Romance/Sexual Content
It’s clear Billy has some feelings for Lexi, and that she possibly has feelings for him. This story doesn’t explore them.

Spiritual Content
A prophetess calling herself the Dark Lady emerges from the reclusive elves. She uses prophecy to stir up the goblins for war and leads them into battle. The goblins mostly worship the Night Goddess. Her Templars serve her and deal justice to the people. Hop doesn’t believe in any gods, only in himself. He briefly laments this because it means he remains without the comfort prayer could bring. Wizards use magic to attack and to heal, but at a personal cost to themselves. Wizards who perform too much magic go insane.

Violent Content
Battle violence. In an early scene, the winning army puts the Dark Lady’s head on a pike at the end of a brutal battle.  Later, one goblin is literally torn apart by others. His head is put on a pike, too. There are several scenes showing battles, one in which soldiers use light to incinerate their enemies. Wizards use magic to attack.

Drug Content
Hop drowns his sorrows in mushroom wine after a plan goes awry.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Characters We Almost Named Our Cat After

Lists, News and Fun, , ,

For most of my adult life, I’ve had two cats. Which made it extra terrible about eighteen months ago when we lost both to health problems within just a few weeks of each other. Losing a pet is never easy, but there’s something really awful about knowing they suffer and trying to figure out when it’s the right time to end their pain. Sorry. Didn’t mean to begin on such a down note.

The good news is that not too long after we lost our kitties, I fell in love with this handsome boy whom the rescue named Achilles, since he’d had a pretty serious leg injury as a kitten. Between my daughter’s love for Greek mythology and my husband’s love for Brad Pitt, it seemed like a perfect match.

Fast forward a bit– we always intended to have two cats again, but it seemed like every time we looked into adopting a second one, something went wrong. At last, our vet’s office called with the news that they had kittens in need of homes. So we decided to offer this little guy a place in ours.

And then began the real battle. A name. The vet staff had been calling him Cheese, which, considering the little ham that he is, I suppose I can understand. My daughter has these very intense infatuations with different shows or movies, so she lobbied hard for characters from her current favorites. My husband, the engineer, wanted something sci-fi oriented or something that coordinated with our other cat’s name. I, of course, lobbied for a name with a literary connection. Here were the top ten choices that didn’t make the cut…

1. Hector from the Illiad

via GIPHY

It seemed an obvious go-to, since Hector and Achilles were rivals in the Illiad. Then we wondered if we were asking for trouble in naming them after mortal enemies. Maybe not the best idea, despite its cleverness.

2. Knightley from Emma

via GIPHY

My daughter and I had recently discovered the BBC version of Emma (which if you haven’t watched, you should!) so Knightley seemed like an excellent choice. My husband hasn’t seen the movie, though, and isn’t familiar with the story, so we agreed to try to find a name we all felt some connection with.

3. Tybalt from Romeo and Juliet


Okay, my favorite thing about the novel Anna Dressed in Blood was the fact that the protagonist has a cat named Tybalt. I thought that was such a clever idea! And I’d been telling myself that someday, when I got to name a cat, that was going to be the name I reached for. I’m not sure why we discarded this one. Maybe because we’d talked about it too much over the years.

4. Paris from the Illiad

via GIPHY

This one didn’t last long. I kept thinking it was a reference to Romeo and Juliet, and I’ve never liked the character Paris because he seemed weak to me. Also, it reminded me of the movie Troy, in which Paris’ most redeeming qualities are making sad moony eyes at everyone and lusting over Helen. Blech.

5. Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird

Since this is one of my favorite books, I had to pitch a name from the cast. But no one else in my very small family has read it (YET) so I got voted out on this one, too. Also, maybe it’s a little weird to name a cat a type of bird?

6. Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica

via GIPHY

Okay, so I know Starbuck is a girl and our kitten is a boy. I don’t think he’d mind. And it’s such a cool name. My daughter had no idea who that was, and my husband wanted something that at least kind of coordinated with our other cat’s name. So boo.

7. Birdseye from Christy

My daughter was hooked on the 1994 Television series Christy when we brought our kitty home, so she was interested in choosing a name for a cat from that show. While it’s a great cat name, Birdseye was also not a great guy, so we ended up ruling this one out.

8. Robotron from Robotron (a video game)

WE ARE NOT NAMING OUR CAT ROBOTRON. Just no.

9. Gandalf from Lord of the Rings

via GIPHY

Which is so awesome. But how do you name a kitten Gandalf? Seriously. We just couldn’t get our heads around it.

10. Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series

via GIPHY

Another great idea that just didn’t gain enough traction. Plus would it be weird to name a cat after a character who shape-shifted into a dog? Hmm. We weren’t sure either.

So what DID we name him?

So… what did we end up naming our little furball? Ultimately we named him Bo. My daughter insists his middle name is Knightley and calls him that instead. He’s been a great addition to our little family. He and Achilles are friends and seem to get along great.

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Review: Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Forbidden Wish
Jessica Khoury
Razorbill
Available February 23, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

From Goodreads:

When Aladdin discovers Zahra’s jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn’t seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra’s very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

My Review:

At first I was a little unsure about reading this book. Then I read the first few chapters as a sample from NetGalley, and that was enough to get me hooked! I loved the vivid descriptions of the landscape and culture. I loved the way Khoury developed this whole culture and hierarchy of jinni. The story felt larger than a simple fairytale and seated in a vast, complex world. I loved that it’s as if Zahra is relating her story to her friend the entire time. It definitely created this personal, humanized voice in what might otherwise have seemed an otherworldly narrator.

The romance was a little steamier than the Disney version I grew up with, but much of the heart and soul of the story remained perfectly intact. Aladdin is indeed the honorable, worthy thief. The princess is strong and independent. And the jinni proves that heart and wit combined make for a formidable adversary.

Recommended Age 15 up

Cultural Elements
This is a retelling of Aladdin. It definitely captures the feel of a Middle Eastern setting and characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some passionate kissing. A boy removes his shirt and unbuttons a girl’s top. At the beginning, a girl hints that Aladdin has been with many other girls.

Spiritual Content
Different types of jinni possess varied types of magic and power, the most powerful being the Shaitan. Jinni cannot reproduce, so they depend on human sacrifices to replenish their numbers. The jinni of the lamp grants her master three wishes. Sometimes she turns those wishes on her master to bring him ruin. Every wish comes with a price, but she does not always know what the price will be before the wish is made.

Violent Content
Brief battle scenes. A woman fights a man for sport in a club. A woman poisons her enemy. A man found guilty of serious crimes is sentenced to death by beheading.

Drug Content
Aladdin gets drunk on wine (he drinks alcohol more than once). Several references to smoking drugs. A powerful leader has been reduced to a drug addict. It’s unclear if that happened by his choice or if he was manipulated into dependence.

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Review: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Crooked Kingdom
Leigh Bardugo
Orion Children’s Books
Available September 27, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Crooked Kingdom

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.

My Review

Six of Crows was my favorite book from last year, so I had this one on pre-order almost as soon as it was possible to do so. And once it arrived, I couldn’t wait to dig into it.

I feel like a sequel always has an uphill battle because, especially in the case of a fantasy, the first book got to wow us with its incredibly fresh setting and culture, and by the second book, we’re kind of like, yep. Right. Ketterdam. I remember. But again I felt so overwhelmed by the richness of the storyworld. Each nation feels distinct racially and culturally, yet the setting doesn’t swallow the story or elbow the characters out of the way to shine. It just is.

This book finishes the story begun by Six of Crows. There won’t be a third book, and in a lot of ways, I didn’t end this one feeling like I needed another one. Things aren’t all clean and perfect, but there are some incredible redemptive moments, and there were so many exchanges where I was like YES! THANK YOU!!! Because it was something that absolutely needed to happen.

I loved the banter between characters. The way they had their own sorts of inside jokes and ways of communicating with one another definitely made me feel like I was part of the circle and that they had real, dynamic relationships.

This is the only novel that has made me really want to write fan fiction. I might have to do it. Maybe. I love the idea of more adventures for these characters. Short stories that happen after-the-end. So I might have to think about that.

Overall, yes. I’m so glad I read this book. I couldn’t have left off with Six of Crows without reading this one all the way to the end. I definitely recommend Crooked Kingdom to anyone who enjoyed the first book. I think the content may be a bit heavier in this one. See below for details.

Cultural Elements
Though it’s a fantasy novel in a fantasy world, there’s a lot of racial diversity in this cast of characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
M/f and m/m kisses. There are hints and comments about sex, most are pretty veiled. One character was forced into prostitution earlier in her life and she briefly recollects some gruesome details about her experience there and the emotional scars it has left her.

Spiritual Content
Matthias is a devout follower of Djel, a god associated with a tree. In Ketterdam, the god of trade, Ghezen is chief, and church is a trading house.

Violent Content
Some scenes show brawls and fights. An assassin attacks a girl. A young woman falls from a rooftop to her death. Kaz describes revenge taken against someone who helped take advantage of two young boys. A man is shot fatally. Thugs beat up a boy who won’t reveal information about his allies.

Drug Content
Nina wrestles with craving for the drug jurda parem, which she took in a desperate attempt to save the team at the end of Six of Crows.