Category Archives: News and Fun

Spotlight: Wolf Road by Beth Lewis

Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, News and Fun, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,

The Wolf Road by Beth LewisThe Wolf Road
Beth Lewis
Crown Publishers
Available July 5, 2016

Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

One of the books I’m really anticipating this summer is a debut novel called Wolf Road by Beth Lewis. I love books where the protagonist is forced to reevaluate things he or she took for granted as absolute truth. Something about this book reminds me of All the Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry, which I LOVED. So today, I wanted to share a bit more about this great book as a part of an Irish Banana Blog Tour.

In her debut novel THE WOLF ROAD (July 5, 2016; Crown), author and managing editor at London’s Titan Books Beth Lewis introduces us to a world decimated by an unnamed, apocalyptic event and inhabited by desperate people accustomed to hunting, tracking, and killing to survive. Among them is Elka, the young heroine whose unmistakable voice guides us through the untamed landscape of the area formerly known as British Columbia on her journey to escape the horrors of her own past.

About The Wolf Road

Everything Elka knows of the world she learned from the man she calls Trapper, a solitary hunter who took her under his wing when she was just seven years old. He has taught her how to shoot, track, set snares, and start fires—all the skills necessary to survive in a wild, lawless land where men are at the mercy of the elements and one another. But when wanted posters begin appearing in town, Elka realizes that the man she thinks she knows so well is harboring terrible secrets. The more Elka finds out about him, the less sure she becomes about her own identity—especially as she begins to recover some of the painful memories she’s kept at bay throughout her childhood.

As the horrific facts emerge, Elka makes her escape, armed with nothing but her knife and the survival skills he’s taught her. She sets out in the hope of finding her true parents, who traveled to the frozen north years earlier in pursuit of gold, but Elka can tell by the shadows that follow her that Trapper’s on her trail—and he won’t be letting his little girl go without a fight. As she encounters physical hardships, violence, and loneliness that at times test her sanity, she also strains to distinguish between fact and fiction in her own recollections. Ultimately, she will have to turn and confront not just Trapper but the dark reality of her past.

THE WOLF ROAD is a tautly suspenseful cat-and-mouse tale of justice and revenge, played out against a vast, unforgiving landscape—told by an unforgettable, tough-as-nails young heroine fighting desperately to escape the terrors of her childhood and rejoin humanity.

About Beth Lewis

Beth Lewis was raised in the wilds of Cornwall and split her childhood between books and the beach. She has traveled extensively throughout the world and has had close encounters with black bears, killer whales, and great white sharks. She has been, at turns, a bank cashier, a fire performer, and a juggler, and she is currently a managing editor at Titan Books in London. The Wolf Road is her first novel.

Beth’s Website | Twitter | Facebook

Praise for The Wolf Road

“Arresting…[an] odyssey that highlights the striking wilderness landscape and Elka’s grit.”

—Publishers Weekly on The Wolf Road

“An unrelenting psychological thriller of wilderness survival wrapped in a terrifying hide-and-seek game of trying to escape an unspeakable past. … Fans of suspense with a touch of horror will be pulled into Elka’s intense struggle to find peace and redemption as the whole truth is finally revealed.”

—Booklist on The Wolf Road

Irish Banana Blog Tours The Wolf Road Tour Schedule

Swing by some of the other tour stops for more information, including sneak peeks, author interviews, and book reviews!

7/11: The Story Sanctuary – Spotlight (you are here!)

7/13: Dizneeee’s World of Books – Excerpt

7/15: Storybook Slayers – Spotlight

7/19: Here’s to Happy Endings – Excerpt

7/21: No BS Book Reviews – Q&A

7/25: I Turn the Pages – Mood Board

7/27: Take Me Away to a Great Read – Excerpt

7/29: A Book & A Latte – Q&A

8/2: Novel Ink – Spotlight

8/4: Life According to a Bibliophile – Review

8/8: Bookish Lifestyle – Q&A

8/10: Emily Reads Everything – Review

8/12: Reading is Better with Cupcakes – Review

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Top Ten Underrated Books

Blogger's Favorites, Lists, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, ,

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s theme lists underrated books, or books with fewer than two thousand ratings on Goodreads. I’ve talked about a lot of these books before. Some are indie or small press novels. Others remain largely undiscovered for reasons I can’t quite figure. All are books I would happily pick up and read all over again.

Top Ten Underrated Books

Glass Girl by Laura Anderson Kurke

You know when you find one of those books where the writing itself is as beautiful as the story? Glass Girl is like that to me. Big emotions, great characters, and a totally swoon-worthy romance. I’m no cowgirl, but I totally loved this Wyoming story.

To Get to You by Joanne Bischof

This one took me by surprise. After reading the back cover copy, I wasn’t totally sure what I’d be getting into. Something about best friends and a cross-country trip? Reuniting with an estranged parent? It sounded a little Hallmark-y to me, in all honesty. Bischof won me over with her straightforward writing. She kept it real when it came to Riley’s relationship with his dad. I liked the way she set up the relationships – the history between Riley and his parents, and his developing relationship with the girl.

The Unlikely Debut of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill

Seriously. If you have a girl in early teens and you’re looking for clean, funny books with a lot of heart, and you haven’t read anything by Stephanie Morrill, just stop now and fix that. I always laugh. I always cry. I always wish for another chapter. Good stuff. (Did I mention she has a historical mystery coming out next year?! I. Can’t. Wait!!!)

I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires by Cathy Gohlke

Every time I read historical fiction, I think I should read more of it because I enjoy it so much, especially when it’s as done as well as Christy Award-winning author Cathy Gohlke’s novels. This novel goes deep and paints the Civil War in stark detail. For history fans interested in a clean read, this is a must.

Chasing Lilacs by Carla Stewart

I love when authors tackle difficult subjects with poise and honesty, and that’s just what Carla Stewart does in her debut novel Chasing Lilacs. Twelve year-old Sammie faces her mother’s mental health issues and suicide during a time (the 1950s) when these things were hushed up. It’s a bit darker than some of my other selections here, but still a worthy read.

Wind and Shadow by Kathy Tyers

Okay, don’t read the Goodreads copy because it’s really confusing. This book is a continuation of Tyers’ Firebird series, so it’s probably best to start there. I read this one first, and I promise it’s not as confusing as Goodreads makes it sound. Wind Haworth was my favorite character. She’s a young diplomat trying to find her place in a very tense politically volatile situation. I really liked the marriage of politics and sci-fi in this novel.

Liberty by Annie Laurie Cechini

This is a light, fun sci-fi story that I think would appeal to fans of Firefly. A quirky crew and a space mission. What’s not to like? Definitely worth checking this one out.

Update – sorry. It looks like this one is currently out of print!

Mercy’s Prince by Katy Huth Jones

I remember being really impressed with the fact that the characters don’t whine when they’re faced with really tough choices. (I mean, let’s face it. Whining can ruin a great story. Even Luke Skywalker’s whining got old, right?) I found the whole can-do attitude and the story itself really intriguing and refreshing.

Traitor’s Masque by Kenley Davidson

I love fairy tales retold, so as soon as I saw this retelling of Cinderella, I was intrigued. This isn’t a classic Cinderella. Davidson’s heroine finds herself recruited to spy for an unknown Lord who promises, in exchange, the one thing she wants most: freedom from her step-mother’s domain. What will she do when completing her task requires her to betray the prince with whom she’s falling in love?

Curio by Evangeline Denmark

I read this book months ago and I still wake up thinking about it sometimes. I loved the story-within-a-story element to this novel. What is it about a boy with wings that I find so intriguing, too? Gah. I loved it. If you’re a fan of dystopian stories or steampunk, you definitely have to check this one out.

Have you read these books?

If you’ve read and enjoyed any of these books, help the author out. Take a few minutes and rate them on Goodreads and post a quick review! You don’t have to do anything fancy. Think of two things you liked and a book or genre that you found similarly enjoyable whose readers might also enjoy the book. Post, and you’re done!

Doing this really helps an author out. Amazon and other sites have goofy rules about what promotional tools authors can access based on the number of reviews posted for their work.

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Review: Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban

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

Paper Wishes
Lois Sepahban
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Ten year-old Manami loves her home on peaceful Bainbridge Island. Then her family and other Japanese American members of the community are forced to relocate to internment camps. Manami tries to smuggle her family’s dog, Yujiin, into the camp, but is forced to leave him behind. The foreign circumstances and grief over her lost dog cause her to stop speaking. Instead, Manami expresses herself through drawings she creates every night. She draws memories of Yujiin and writes asking him to find her family. She will only find her voice again if she can work through her guilt over losing Yujiin.

This realistic debut tackles a dark moment in US history, when in 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the incarceration of many Japanese Americans. As is so typical of the experience of a child, Manami focuses on one traumatic change—having to leave her dog behind—and this becomes representative to her of all that her family has lost and the grief they suffer. Sepahban’s story stays true to many elements of the historical account of Manzanar, an internment camp in California. While this is a heavy subject for middle readers, the tale walks a fine balance between capturing the true injustice of the camps without relaying too much for young readers to understand.

I love that an author has written something about this moment in our history. I think too often we want to forget the bleakest moments, especially in our own history. To do so leaves us vulnerable to making the same mistakes again. Certainly this story comes as a timely reminder even today, that to judge an entire group of people by the actions of a very small number of radicals, is not only tragic but terrible and wrong.

When I read Paper Wishes, it reminded me in some ways of Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. In Number the Stars, Lowry follows the story of a girl whose best friend must go into hiding because she is Jewish. While the story doesn’t delve into the true horrors of Nazi occupied Holland, it does give readers a view into those events that is child-sized, both in its simplicity and its relating of historical facts.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Manami learns that her brother has a girlfriend, and her family is unhappy about it. She wrestles with her own feelings about the relationship.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Manami learns of a riot in the camp. Her parents rush her inside and away from noises of an angry crowd. One boy has been killed. Another dies soon after. She’s largely sheltered from the actual events.

Drug Content
None.

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

 

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Top Ten Middle Grade Reads

Blogger's Favorites, Lists, Middle Grade 8-12,

Top Ten Middle Grade Reads (2015-2016)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today, my spin on the topic is this: middle grade reads. As the parent of an enthusiastic middle grade reader, I’m always looking for books that will spark conversations, explore interesting ideas, or generate all those deep emotions as only a well-written book can. Here are the best of the middle grade books I’ve read in the last couple of years.

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I loved the way the author used information about jellyfish in this story, but what was ultimately most powerful was Suzy’s voice. This story packed a big emotional punch, and I love that.

The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng

Review to come | Amazon | Goodreads

While I haven’t made it to posting this review yet, this is another must-read, in my humble blogger opinion. I completely identified with Anna’s struggle to connect with her friends and find peace in her identity.

Grayling’s Song by Karen Cushman

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Quirky characters were the big win for me in this novel. I mean, seriously?! A shape-shifting mouse? So cute. And the team of unlikely allies reminded me of the team of odd part-dragon characters helping Seraphina in Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman.

Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianni

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This was another unexpected find. When the author, who’d been a missionary to this part of the world, approached me with Escape from Sudan, the subject of the story definitely interested me. Books like this one are great ways to start conversations about world events and to introduce those ideas in ways appropriate for middle readers.

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This is another tale with a powerful punch. In the wake of the hostage crisis in Iran, an Iranian-American girl navigates a suddenly hostile California town. She’s smart, funny and immediately goes for the heartstrings. I want this book in classrooms everywhere.

Just My Luck by Cammie McGovern

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Too often simple kindness gets overlooked in our fast-paced modern world. In this story, Benny wrestles with being kind to others in the midst of troubling family circumstances: his father suffered an accident and may never be the same. I loved Benny from page one.

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

As part of a school history project, Deja discovers the truth about what changed the New York skyline on September 11, 2001, and the connection it has to her family. While this one got a little preachy– a side effect of the classroom setting for many of the book’s scenes– I really appreciated the honest but not graphic look at another big moment in US history.

Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban

Review to Come | Amazon | Goodreads

I’m cheating a bit, since my review for this book won’t be posted until the middle of July. But seriously. Another great, really relevant book. A young girl is forced to leave her island town with her family to live in a Japanese Internment camp. The details are all gentle– it’s very middle grade level stuff– but it absolutely captures the message about how traumatic and wrong that moment in American history was.

When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I love the blend of noir and humor in this wacky mystery. This was one series that had both my daughter and me watching for release dates and rushing to the bookstore to get the copy of the latest release.

Between Shadows by Kathleen Cook Waldron

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I had the pleasure of meeting this author on vacation a few months before her book came out. My grandmother’s death was a hugely significant loss in my life, so when she described her novel about a boy and his family rediscovering one another after his grandfather’s death, I was instantly intrigued. I’m super excited that I got to read it!

What are your favorite middle grade books?

You’ve read my list. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which books top your favorites for middle grade literature? (Thing ages 8-12.) Leave a comment with your answer!

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Review: Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine

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

Paper and Fire
Rachel Caine
New American Library/Random House
Available July 5, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Jess survived induction into the Library, but life as one of their soldiers is far more grueling than he expected. The girl he loves is locked away forever, and his best friend is lost. When rumors bring Jess’s old classmates together again, they face a terrible choice: a rescue mission that would mean living the rest of their lives on the run from the Library, if they manage to escape. Jess promises refuge with his family, but even he isn’t sure he can count on his father to hide them without having something valuable to offer in return.

After devouring the series opener, INK AND BONE, (and then pestering everyone I know to also go read it) I was anxious to start reading PAPER AND FIRE. I love Jess. Something about the combination of his cleverness and vulnerability makes it essential for me to root for him.

I felt like the story in INK AND BONE was a tiny bit more organized, but I still really enjoyed PAPER AND FIRE. In the first book, I was nervous about liking each new character as they were introduced. In PAPER AND FIRE, I was biting my nails down to the quick because again and again, all the characters I love find themselves in mortal peril. I kept having to stop and take a breath.

One of the really difficult things for a series like this where the story world is so unbelievably inventive is that the second book doesn’t have that wow factor with regard to that story world. We already know about the Great Library and the sinister automata. Though they’re still as unique and interesting, I didn’t feel the same awe, because I had kind of already acclimated to the wonder. If that makes sense. I felt the same way about THE HUNGER GAMES. But by the second book, I was like, oh yeah, the Arena. I remember that. Not quite the same.

So yeah. That’s my take. Still a great read, and possibly cleaner than the first book. I’m super excited to see what happens in the next book, ASH AND QUILL.

Content Notes

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some passionate kissing. At one point, it seems like two characters are winding up to have sex, but they argue instead, and that kills the mood.

Two men kiss.

Jess and his friends learn that in the Iron Tower, Obscurists are matched based on ability and forced to have sex in order to produce children. The process isn’t described, but during Morgan’s imprisonment, Jess worries for her and hates the idea of her being forced into anything.

Spiritual Content
Khalila is a practicing Muslim.

Violent Content
Burners use Greek fire to set books and themselves ablaze. They also use it against soldiers and members of the Great Library. Jess serves as a soldier and faces battle. The battle descriptions are more about the strategy than about warfare. Guns are used.

Jess and the others learn that Wolfe and other prisoners were tortured. While there aren’t scenes actively depicting the torture, characters who’ve experienced it react strongly to any triggers, and there are some references to the fact that it happened. At one point, Jess and the team find the room where others have been tortured.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which don’t cost you anything but help support this blog.

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Author Jaimie Engle Talks Bullying and What You Can Do About It

Guest Post, News and Fun, ,

Several years ago, I reviewed a book called Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light by Jaimie Engle. Since then, I’ve been impressed with Jaimie’s passion to educate kids about standing up against bullying. Her book addresses the issue, but she doesn’t stop there. Jaimie also visits schools to speak about bullying and how to combat it. I asked her to share some of her insights with us here today.

About Jaimie Engle

Jaimie Engle is an award-winning author of fantasy, horror, and science fiction books from the Space Coast of Florida. Her passion is talking to kids about writing and social issues because words have power. Her first novel, an anti-bullying fantasy adventure, was written after her own son was bullied in school. She took him to archery club, where she imagined a stalking dwarf seeking a magic arrow. Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light was born. Since then, Engle has published several award-winning books and spoken to tens of thousands of kids across the country about their part in bullying.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Bullying: Standing Up

By Jaimie M. Engle

Students are burdened to identify themselves as aggressors, victims, passive bystanders or aggressive bystanders. According to the US Department of Education, more than 8 million students nationwide ages 12-18 reported being bullied.

As parents, how can we not encourage kids to confront these individuals? To passively walk away and hope the bully will leave them alone. What does this resolve? Won’t they just seek a new, weaker person to prey upon? It is our responsibility to teach the next generation to stand up for someone when they don’t have the words, courage, or ability to stand up for themselves.

The National Education Association reported that 160,000 bullied children miss at least one day of school a month. These children are more likely to experience mental health concerns resulting in issues such as head and stomachaches, inability to concentrate, poor performance in school, to the worst cases of depression, isolation and suicide. How can a child who is told to ignore a malicious statement possibly pay attention in class? Or a student who is threatened physical harm able to attend school when told to turn the other cheek?

When my son was in first grade, he was bullied and no one was there to help him. That’s why I wrote my first book. I grew up letting people push me around and I didn’t want to see my son make my same mistakes.

Bullying is not a new thing, and it doesn’t just occur between kids. In my book, Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light, Clifton is dealing with the school bully and failing miserably until he is magically whisked away to Medieval England. There, he helps two forgotten princes face their tyrant uncle while being guided by a dwarf named Dane and a mythical creature called Simurgh. Through discovering the true meaning of friendship and the courage to do what’s right, Clifton discovers his purpose, rescues the princes, and faces his own bully.

Everyday kids can stand up for themselves, just like Clifton Chase. Through a fun story filled with mermaids, dragons, and magic, truth is discovered and bullies never win! Clifton is perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and the Chronicles of Narnia, ages 8+. And the companion book, Clifton Chase the Coloring Book, shares the same story and message in an easy to read coloring book for the younger brothers and sisters of Clifton Chase fans (and the young at heart)!

With #everykidsvoice we can #targetbullying to stop it!

Visit Jaimie Engle on her web site to learn more about her books, school visits, and services to help authors.

Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light

Clifton Chase couldn’t possibly know the mysterious arrow he finds in his closet will lead him to the year 1485. Two princes need his help, but why? Carrying the Arrow of Light, a weapon forged from the Tree of Knowledge itself, Clifton is led on a journey to face fire-breathing dragons, kidnapping by merpeople, and a final battle, which will end the War of the Roses and the reign of a tyrant king. Will Clifton discover his purpose on time and save the day? Or has the arrow chosen the wrong boy?

History clashes with fantasy in this middle grade adventure story. (From Goodreads)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Story Sanctuary Review

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