New Releases ~ week of 11/10/2014

Very small list this week. All links go to Goodreads

A Darker Past by  Jus Accardo (#2 The Darker Agency)
Autumn Falls by Bella Thorne (#1 Autumn Falls)
Blue Labyrinth by Douglas Preston (#14 Pendergast)

Conquer Me by Geneva Lee (#2 Royals Saga)
Covering Kendall by Julie Brannagh (#4 Love and Football)
Denied by Jodi Ellen Malpas (#2 One Night Trilogy)
Fear City by F Paul Wilson (#3 Early Years Trilogy)
Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell (#22 The Scarpetta Series)
Her Warriors by Bianca D'Arc (#4 String of Fate)
His Wicked Seduction by Lauren Smith (#2 The League of Rogues)
Hunting in Bruges by E.J. Stevens (#1 Hunters' Guild)
More to Give by Terri Osburn (#4 Anchor Island)
Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread by Mary Jane Hathaway (#3 Jane Austen Takes The South)

Revolution by Jenna Black (#3 Replica Trilogy)
Sleigh Ride by Heidi Cullinan (#2 Minnesota Christmas)
The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel (#1 The Book of Ivy)
The Color of the Season by Julianne MacLean (#7 Color of Heaven)
The Curse of the Buttons by Anne Ylvisaker (#3 The Buttons)
The Flame by Christopher Rice (#11 1001 Dark Nights)
The Witch Must Burn by Danielle Paige (#1.5 Dorothy Must Die)

Book Review ~ Snow Like Ashes

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1)

by Sara Raasch
published by Balzer + Bray
genre: YA, Fantasy, Debut Book

Summary (Goodreads): A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

My Thoughts: I was glad that this mostly lived up to the Hype. I'm always concerned when everyone loves a book, for some reason I tend to not like those books.
My favorite thing had to be the world the author created. I loved the idea of having four different lands based on the seasons and with the characteristics of the seasons. The other side of that was the Rhythms. These I didn't understand as well but understand where the author was going. Ms Raasch brought balance throughout. Whether through the four seasons/ four rhythms or the four female conduits/ four male conduits. Balance was important.
Meira was another thing that I liked. She was young and eager but at the same time full of doubts concerning her place in their world. All she wants to do is prove herself to those she looks up to and feel a part of Winter, a world she hasn't set foot in since she was an infant. From being on the run, learning to be a queen, and dealing with Spring each scenario made Meira a stronger and more likable character.
The only thing that stopped this from being a straight five star read was the foreshadowing to the big reveal. It might be because I read so many fantasy books but the flashbacks, while subtle and easy to miss, told me what was going to happen. I did enjoy how and when it happened. There is some romance in this book. I never bought into Meira and Mather only because they knew no one else so who else would they be interested in. I thought her relationship with Theron felt more genuine.
Overall, this is one of my favorite reads of 2014 and I look forward to reading more about this world that Ms Raasch has created.

Rating: 4.5 

Some Thursday Randomness

Thursday Randomness

This post seems to be about things my son enjoys...

My son is a big fan of the Despicable Me movies. He has been waiting for the minions movie forever and we finally saw a trailer for it. Now for the long wait until Summer 2015.

My son also loves attempting to make flip books. We found this guy on YouTube who takes it to another level. We had fun clicking through his playlist. Most are around 30 secs so does not take long.


and lastly one thing for me... Epic Reads has made an infographic called The Age of YA: A Timeline of Historical Fiction. There are some on this list that I have already read and some that I'm looking forward to reading. You can find the list here.

From ancient times to the decade of grunge, take a trip to the past with this timeline of 140 YA historical fiction novels, curated by the Epic Reads community! Scroll down for the gorgeous graphic and then keep scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, for the list of titles featured!

New Releases ~ week of 11/03/2014

A Beaumont Christmas Wedding by Sarah M Anderson (#3 The Beaumont Heirs)

A Dog Gone Murder by Elaine Viets (#10 Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper)
A Dream of Home by Amy Clipston (#3 Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel)
A High-End Finish by Kate Carlisle (#1 Fixer-Upper Mystery)
A New York Christmas by Anne Perry (#12 Christmas novellas)
A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray (#1 Firebird Trilogy)
Acts of Faith by Patricia Wynn (#5 Blue Satan And Mrs. Kean)
Another One Bites the Dust by Chris Marie Green (#2 Jensen Murphy, Ghost For Hire)
By Cook or by Crook by Maya Corrigan (#1 Five-Ingredient Mystery)
Chorus Lines, Caviar, and Corpses by Mary McHugh (#1 Happy Hoofers Mystery)

Coming Home by Jack McDevitt (#7 Alex Benedict)
Crashland by Sean Williams (#2 Twinmaker)
Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren (#2 Wild Seasons)
Dovewing's Silence by Erin Hunter (#7 Warriors: Novella)
Empire of Shadows by Miriam Forster (#2 Bhinian Empire)
Everblaze by Shannon Messenger (#3 Keeper of the Lost Cities)
Freed by Stacey Kennedy (#4 Club Sin)
Heart Fire by Robin D. Owens (#13 Celta)
Her Lone Wolf by Paige Tyler (#2 X-OPS)
Hope Reformed by S. M. Stirling, David Drake (#7-8 General)
Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (#2 The Naturals)

King's Assassins by Jenna Rhodes (#3 Elven Ways)
Knot in My Backyard by Mary Marks (#2 Quilting Mysteries)
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Rita Mae Brown (#9 Jane Arnold)
Lethal Letters by Ellery Adams (#6 Books by the Bay Mystery)
Letting Go by Molly McAdams (#1 Thatch)
Limitless by Robert J. Crane (#1 Out of the Box)
Make You Remember by Macy Beckett (#2 Dumont Bachelors)
Midnight Action by Elle Kennedy (#5 Killer Instincts)
Mistletoe & Hollywood by Natasha Boyd (#2.5 Eversea)
Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers (#3 His Fair Assassin)
No Boundaries by SE Jakes (#1 Phoenix Inc.)
No Mallets Intended by Victoria Hamilton (#4 Vintage Kitchen Mysteries)

Not Quite Forever by Catherine Bybee (#4 Not Quite)
On Borrowed Time by Jenn McKinlay (#5 Library Lover's Mystery)
Plagued by Quilt by Molly MacRae (#4 Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery)
Polar Bared by Eve Langlais (#3 Kodiak Point)
Reap the Wind by Karen Chance (#7 Cassandra Palmer)
Rogue Spy by Joanna Bourne (#6 Spy Series)
Romancing the Billionaire by Jessica Clare (#5 The Billionaire Boys Club)
Seduced by Stratton by Katy Regnery (#4 English Brothers)
Spice by Seressia Glass (#1 Sugar and Spice)
Suede to Rest by Diane Vallere (#1 Material Witness Mystery)
Tainted Blood by M. L. Brennan (#3 Generation V)
The Billion Dollar Player by Mandy Baxter (#2 Billionaire's Club: Texas)

The Blazing Star by Erin Hunter (#4 Warriors: Dawn of the Clans)
The Chocolate Clown Corpse by JoAnna Carl (#14 Chocoholic Mysteries)
The Cowboy's Christmas Gift by Donna Alward (#1 Crooked Valley Ranch)
The Future Falls by Tanya Huff (#3 Enchantment Emporium)
The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg (#2 The Paper Magician Trilogy)
The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney (#9 Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
The Pretender's Gambit by Alex Archer (#51 Rogue Angel)
The Red Book of Primrose House by Marty Wingate (#2 Potting Shed Mysteries)
The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (#3 Mara Dyer)
The Texan's Christmas by Tanya Michaels (#6 Texas Rodeo Barons)

Visitors by Orson Scott Card (#3 Pathfinder)
Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger (#3 Finishing School)
What to Do with a Bad Boy by Marie Harte (#4 McCauley Brothers)
Wild Rover No More: Being the Last Recorded Account of the Life & Times of Jacky Faber by L. A. Meyer (#12 Bloody Jack)

Art Book Review ~ Fairy Homes and Gardens

Fairy Homes and Gardens

by Ashley Rooney
Intro by David D.J. Rau
published by Schiffer Publishing
released October 28, 2014
Genre: Art, Fantasy, Crafting

**Received e-arc from publisher and NetGalley

Summary (Goodreads): Many supernatural creatures are said to inhabit our world. Their magical, wonderland realm has been the subject of many books, movies, and our childhood dreams. In this richly illustrated book, 30 designers from around the world transform natural settings into enchanting displays that recreate that sense of wonder. Using artificial flowers, fabric, sticks, wire, crystals, berries, acorns, baskets, and polymer clay, these designers have been inspired to create their own once upon a time fairy home and garden for special events, storytelling, or just because they believe in fairies. In doing so, they tap into our inner child and help us to imagine a new world. This is a wonderful resource for designers and artists, as well as parents, teachers, or anyone looking to create their own magical place."

My Thoughts: This is a book that I would definitely put on my coffee table just for the visuals. I liked the photos of all the different fairy houses. My favorites were the nature based homes. There is a wide variety of different artists to help inspire you in creating your fairy own home.
There was also a section that talked about hospitals that use this art movement for therapy. I can see where this would be a zen type project that would help calm the mind.
The only thing I would have liked to see is a couple of projects from start to finish. It was nice seeing all the finished houses but seeing what the artists started with and maybe a few shots along the way to the finished project would have been nice.

Rating: 4