Sunday, August 30, 2015

Comics - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle - Volume 1 & 2, Issues 39-47

 


Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - The turtles are living in New York and falling into one dangerous event after another. Mysteries from feudal Japan and scientific troubles fill their days, putting them and their friends Casey, April, Angel, and more in situations where they have to fight back. While each character deals with their own personal issues, they come together as a time to protect their home and each other.

Creators - Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz

Publisher - IDW Publishing

Age Group - 16 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Bloody fights and some swearing. Reincarnation. Abusive father situation early in the series and conflict because of it continues to cause tension. World domination later in the comics. Staying true to family and what you believe in. Following a code and protecting friends.

Personal Opinion - The turtles are fighting crime against old and new enemies while making friends and discovering their past. A lot of things have changed in the story with this new publication yet nodes to and brings in elements of the original tales and parts to the TV shows and movies. It all blends together seamlessly and continues being a tale of family, right and wrong, and fighting for what you believe in. Each month, a continuation of their adventure is released so readers only have to go a short time before a new story is published (by the time this post will publish, I will have read at least one new comic in the series). The art work is great too. There is some content that I could do without, swearing for one, it is still a great story and not as bad as it could be. It is pretty violent and bloody so not for young readers. If you are a turtles fan, start picking this comic up at your local comic shop and enjoy a new phase of the story. (If you are picking up in the middle of this series, there are books with the past comics available for purchase that have about four comics to a book. I am using these to catch up so I have questions that I hope will be answered from where it began to where it is now. Example: the art has changed a little.)

Also, check out the Casey and April comics which is a brief side story for only a few months.

Video -

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Sunday, August 23, 2015

Frostfire

"Hidden Deep in the Heart of a Snow-Covered Wilderness Lies the Secret Kingdom of the Kanin - A Magical Realm as Beautiful as it is Treacherous..."
 
Bookworm's Ranking - 3 Worms

Storyline - Having never been completely accepted among her kingdom because she is both Kanin and Skojar, Bryn dedicates herself in her work as a Tracker, who leaves the safety of the Trolls' home to find and return with the Changlings placed in our world as babies once they have grown old enough. But, when on a routine mission, she comes face to face with the man who tried to kill her father and stabbed her years ago, Konstantin Black. Unsure what he was doing following a Changling, Bryn tries to focus on events and duties at home but something is wrong. As Konstantin continues going after Changlings, she and the other Trackers have to keep the kingdom safe. Yet, while Bryn wants to bring Konstantin to "justice," there is something that isn't right. Mysteries and fantasy abound in this first installment of The Kanin Chronicles.

Author - Amanda Hocking

Publisher - St. Martin's Griffin

Age Group - 17 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Several characters have "romantic encounters" casually. Swearing every few pages. A diversity in gender preferences for relationships. Faithfull to country and protecting those in danger. Determination to do their duty. Wanting revenge but sees there might be more to the situation that can be seen.

Personal Opinion - Filled with intrigue, action, and mystery, Frostfire was one of the most engaging and captivating books I have ever read. Even though this is based off a fairy tale yet, it is so light and woven together so well, it is its own story. The life of Bryn is complicated and so are the morals and practices of the world, creating conflict. I like how it takes place in our world yet is hidden. The author is also Minnesotan, my home state, which is just cool and, in my opinion, give credibility for writing a world filled with snow and, later, a country with water, two major parts of MN. However, I did rate this at only 3 stars and my reasons for that is the morality presented in the novel. *May Be Spoilers* Within the first chapter, a character makes a video call and connects with another character who is just finishing a "nooner". While there was nothing explicit, all the while presenting this as no big deal, just their way of life, it felt like in appropriate material, this event and subsequent references or desires that were clearly hinted yet not detailed, for teens. People do have different ideas on appropriateness of this stuff but I was uncomfortable with it being in a book meant for this age group. That was my number one issue and is making me question if I will continue reading the books even though I want to know what happens next. Second, there were some laws broken in our world that the characters did in order to escape trouble and they have the philosophy of "the ends justified the means" going for them. There were lastly a few swear words every several pages which I can usually live with so this was not a make it or break it issue. I think I may continue reading the series, not only to see how the story goes and understand the mysteries set up but also to see how the morals of the characters and the practices of the society, the Changling practice which causes some friction between characters, is covered. I want to know if the world created still thinks these ways are still okay or if their way of thinking and seeing things change even though, right now, they are defending them.

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Wednesday, August 19, 2015

How to Train Your Dragon: How to Fight a Dragon's Fury Cover

Hey Bookworms,

Wondering around on Amazon today and came across the cover for How to Train Your Dragon: How to Fight a Dragon's Fury cover. I have been reading a lot of Dragon this year and this is the last of the book in the original series. Thought I would share with you all.

 
 
Great, yeah? I can't wait for this adventure but I'm sure it will be bitter sweet at the same time. This one I'll be crying during but I hope I'll feel the story complete once over, be at peace with when done. Are you in the middle of a series now? What series have you looked forward to? How did you feel about the last book?
 
Chew on a good book today!
 
 

Sunday, August 16, 2015

The Little Paris Bookshop

"A Warm and Charming Tale of
Love, Loss,
and the Power of Reading"

Bookworm's Ranking - 3 Worms

Storyline - Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

Internationally bestselling and filled with warmth and adventure, The Little Paris Bookshop is a love letter to books, meant for anyone who believes in the power of stories to shape people's lives.

(Summary copied from Amazon)

Author - Nina George

Publisher - Crown Publishers

Age Group - 18 and up
 
Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Love making and such is a popular topic (weather or not someone was already married didn't matter). Regret is struggled with as well as guilt. Searching for love and belonging is what the characters want most, romantically and otherwise. Jean helps others and sees what they need to give them the book that will help them heal.

Personal Opinion - I decided not to finish this book 32% into it because of all the pretty detailed "romantic" scenes in it. I can do without all those details in a book (or movie or TV show for that matter); I get what the characters did and I don't need to be there for it. It is something that makes me personally uncomfortable. Besides my personal feelings, the story also tended to be direct in the information it shared with the reader and some of it was repeated (I don't know how many times it went over each neighbor he lived with in the apartment and what they read). It tended to make the story longer and was summary in a way. Yet, the best thing about this book was when it was on the Literary Apothecary and talked about books and their healing properties. It is why I wanted to read this in the first place and it was beautiful. It is exactly how I think of books, perfectly creating an image of what books are in our world. The cover flap said this book was also about love and loss as well as how books affect us and it was doing a superb job of creating characters that were involved in all of that but I just didn't need that detailed of the "love."

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Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the publisher through Blogging for Books.

To read or comment on this and other reviews, stop by Bookworm

Chew on a good book today!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

A Wish Made of Glass

Releasing August 14, 2015
Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - Izzy's world is turned upside down, her once joyous life with her mother and evenings dancing with the mythical fey folk in the woods, is destroyed when her mother dies. Yet, her father brings back some of that happiness until he marries someone else. Determined not to share with her father with anyone else, Izzy deplores her stepmother and sister, even when a budding friendship with the woman's daughter. As tragedy continues to strike, she can find very little to be happy about and is alone. Can Izzy truly open her heart and trust someone else, especially the secret of her friendship with the fey, with someone else or will this be destroyed as well?

Author - Ashlee Willis

Publisher - Dewdrop Books

Age Group - 15 and up

Content - *May Contain Spoilers* Jealousy and vengeance is often on the mind of Izzy. Overcoming past hurt and regret is a battle within each person. Love for each other and finding happiness in other's joy is found.

Personal Opinion - After being a host for the cover reveal of this novella, I really looked forward to the release. Now, having read it, it is a magical retelling of Cinderella with a twist, SPOILER it is not from the view point of Cinderella but the stepsister END SPOILER. While dark and heartbreaking at times, this version explores the motivations behind the main characters, making the ones usually disliked sympathetic and human, not just evil and vindictive. The one thing I did not like about it was how much it was told to the reader. While it was in a first person point of view and revealed a lot of how this character felt and saw the situation, a lot of it was kinda straightforward. But, it had a beautiful message and an unusual, and interesting, take on a well known story which suggests a rethinking of how the reader understands the events and idea of unfairness while keeping to the original themes.

Buy - Amazon

Disclaimer - In exchange for an honest review, I received this book for free from the author.

To read or comment on this and other reviews, stop by Bookworm
 
Chew on a good book today!

Sunday, August 2, 2015

5 Glass Slippers

"One Beloved Story
Five Exciting Writers
A Collection to Cherish"
 
Bookworm's Ranking - 4 Worms

Storyline - The tale of Cinderella is timeless and beloved. In this collection of five novellas, her story is revisited and retold in surprising new ways: 1) she has no interest in the prince or going to the ball, 2) the slipper fits the wrong girl, 3) reclaiming the throne from an imposter prince, 4) drilling on an alien planet when a ship arrives with a famous captain, and 5) freeing those imprisoned in an enchanted circus. Each is unique yet faithful to the original. Enjoy the magic once again on these spellbinding tales.

Editor - Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Authors - Elisabeth Brown
                Emma Clifton
                Rachel Heffington
                Stephanie Ricker
                Clara Diane Thompson

Publisher - Rooglewood Press

Age Group - 15 and up
 
Content - *May Contain Spoilers*

Personal Opinion - This collection of Cinderella stories, all varying in style, mood, and even genre, really bought out the character and story in a variety of ways. She is shy, a dreamer, and even someone who faces her fear. She lives where magic exists, the real world, and even outer space. She is also loved, hated, and even disliked by her step-mother and sisters. Talk about a wide vision of Cinderella and, yet, each story was special, unique, and fun in its own way. I particularly loved A Cinder's Tale in this collection. Not only did I get to read great versions of this tale that goes in depth of the story with each one being able to read in about a day, but also get to know new authors, some of who it was there first story published. I will keep this collection and re-read the story for a while and am looking forward to the next collection by Rooglewood.  

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Chew on a good book today!

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Books Releasing in August


Hello Bookworms,

On the first of each month, I will share about new books releasing for that particular month. Since there are just too many books releasing each month to share them all, I will have to narrow the ones featured (a whole blog could be dedicated to that). There are at least two great books releasing during August and I am looking forward to them for different reasons. Hope you are also looking forward to them.

Mechanica

So I heard about this book on Goodreads I think and it is a retelling of Cinderella with a Steampunk twist. The cover is beautiful and curious and I think this would be a fun book to read. It will be available on the 25th.

The Wolf Wilder

I love wolves whish is why the cover of this book caught my attention. It is about a girl who helps her father "wild" wolves and takes them back to the wild, which causes some trouble. I know nothing about the author but still want to read because of the wolf part. The trouble with it I could see is that some books that feature animals on the cover or mentioned in the summary have very little part of the actually story which irritates me. Hope this book handles it well because it sounds like the wolves are prominent. It is releasing on the 25th.






Crystal Kingdom

This is the third book in the series and book 1, Frostfire, will be reviewed later this month. One thing that caught my attention when I first heard about this series were the covers (a picture is worth a thousand words) and the story is captivating (but there are some things making me uncomfortable). It is also based off a fairy tale. Can you guess which one?

It is releasing on the 4th.









All these new releases look fun and adventurous for their own reasons and I hope to get a chance to read them. I also hope I run into a few more books that will be releasing in August. My to-read shelf might be stacking up but I'm still reading and reviews are coming.

What book(s) are you looking forward to this month? Share in the comments below.

Be sure to chew on a good book today (and this month)!