Book Review Discussion: On the Fence by Kasie West

Book: On the Fence by Kasie West
Genre: YA Romance/Contemporary
Rating:★★★★★ (I've decided to up this from what I gave it on Goodreads. So there.)
For: Review
From: Free copy received from Edelweiss. All opinions are my own!
(Released tomorrow, July 1, 2014)

Short Synopsis: Thanks to her three wild brothers,Charlie has grown up quite the tomboy. She pals around with them and their friend Braden, doing all the boy things and fitting in quite nicely. But then she gets a job in order to pay off a speeding ticket and the job is a girly one. Suddenly, she is wondering who she really is. Confusing feelings! Not only that, there's something about her mother's death that everyone is not telling her. In order to deal with all these feelings, she starts meeting the next door neighbor, who just happens to be the aforementioned Braden, in the middle of the night at the fence. They are both suffering insomnia and what better way to talk through things then a good old fence chat! Well, and then something magical starts happening at the fence. And bam, things are even more confusing now!!

My Response: Ah, my new favorite author! I love her simple, every day, ordinary teenage stories. And this is the prefect (and literal) boy next door story, and you know I love those. And even though it's simple, it also encompasses all the complicated feelings of teenager-hood, and done just right. And the love story? So much swoon to enjoy! Oh, there's not only Braden, but the brothers to swoon over. Lots and lots of brothers. And her writing style? It's exactly what I wish I could learn for myself. Sigh.

Bottom line: I totally enjoyed it from beginning to end. Next book please! (No, this is not a series that I know of, but just... more Kasie West books please!)

Let's Talk About: We talked about boy next door romances a few books ago. Should we talk about it again? Aren't they the best? Do you know anyone with an in real life boy next door romance? My neighbors across the street are an example, though I don't know their story except that they were friends when they were like 10 and 11 or something. Maybe younger. It would be fun to learn how that friendship changed and morphed for them. What is it about this sort of relationship? I just like that people who are friends for such a long long time can fall in love and become forever friends. It's so romantic.

Other Reviews:

On the Fence by Kasie West is a light, quick and charming read with an unusual girl, a wonderful family set up and with the most adorable romance! From Bewitched Bookworms

It's a perfect summer book, with the cute romance and the drama and the sports. From City of Books

This is an awesome book. If you love romances and great friendships, then you will definitely love this one. From Books With Bite

The way her family stood strong for her was heartwarming though. I couldn’t help but love them even more than I already had. I would love to see Charlie’s brothers in some other books. From This Blonde Reads

Movie Review: How To Train Your Dragon 2

Movie: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Genre: Animated Fantasy
Starring: Hiccup (Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler)
Rating: PG
My Rating: Two thumbs up

So... everything is happy in Berk now! There's peace between humans and dragons. In fact, everyone HAS a dragon, just like Hiccup! But...then. Hiccup discovers there are some bad people killing dragons to give to an even badder guy (I forget all the names!) and this not good. He must be stopped! Of course Hiccup plans to do the stopping all by himself. However, his friends and even his dad come to help.

On the way, Hiccup discovers a pretty huge secret about his past, and it changes everything he thought he knew about himself. Or didn't know. And then the war begins, and sad stuff happens. And then happy stuff happens. And your emotions are all over the place!

Ah, how do they make such fun animated movies these days? How can they make a cartoon boy so freaking attractive? Maybe it's his voice. I don't even know that actor that voices Hiccup, but yeah. I love his voice! And how do they make us all want a pet dragon? It's crazy I tell you!

I saw it in 3D and the swooping flying dragon riding scenes were awesome! So awesome. I wish there were more Astrid Hiccup interaction scenes, but this movie was not about that, it was about other stuff, which you'll understand when (when!) you go to see it.

Anyway, it was great fun. I'm not much of an animated movie lover, but this series deserves its popularity and is one of the best.

Here's the trailer:

Book Review Discussion: Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

Book: Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Fantasy
Rating:★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
For: Fun, Support Local Authors
From: I bought it!

Short Synopsis: Ha... short? Yeah, right. I'll try. So this book takes up were the first one, The Way of Kings, leaves off. We have Shallan, along with her teacher Jasnah,  traveling to come to the Shattered Plains to further their research, and to hopefully get what she (Shallan) needs to help her brothers. Kaladin, meanwhile, is already at the Shattered Plains and is now a captain of the guard. Sweet! His Bridge Four guys are treated with much respect and they are teaching their method of leadership to other companies. Dalinar, the king's uncle (who basically runs the show)  has him (Kalladin) close at hand at a lot because he can sense there's something about him. Understatement, that. Well. Things happen. Shallan ends up there, but not as she expects. When she and Kaladin meet for the first time... it is... just... fabulous. But she is engaged to Dalinar's son, Adolin. And they hit it off.

And then more stuff happens. And then things get intense and just... awesome. Both Shallan and Kaladin learn new skills and discover some pretty cool secrets. The spren (cool creatures that I in no way can explain in my "short" synopsis) play a big roll. The strange marbled people (Parshendi) are weird and fascinating, and they want to start a war with Dalinar and his people. So the whole book is basically a lead up to this war with Shallan and Kaladin being put in place to play a significant role.

My Response: As I mentioned in my half way mark post awhile back, the pages turn quickly, but it seems like it takes many pages before "stuff happens." But when stuff happens, it happens in a big way and I love it. But the stuff in between is fascinating and cool and engaging too, so you know, it doesn't really matter. I loved the characters just as much this time as in the first book. Shallan really comes to her own in this book. Wow. And Kaladin is just as cool as ever. And Adolin? I hardly remember him from the first book, but he is a blast in this one! Brandon Sanderson is known for his world building, which is awesome, but he truly does have a handle on the whole character development too. We talk a lot about how much we love bantering between characters and let's just say that Shallan and Kaladin have this down! So much fun! They get  stuck together at one point and these scenes were definitely my favorites of the whole book.

Bottom Line: Even thought it took me several months to read this book, I loved it and especially those last 200 pages... totally edge of your seat stuff. I'm hooked on this series, no question.

Let's Talk About: When people talk about this author, they always talk about his world building and magic systems. And some people enjoy fantasy because of these things and others could take it or leave. So I'm wondering, what do you think about these two components to fantasy story telling? Do you pay attention to them? Or do you get too wrapped up in the story and/or its characters to even think about it? Does the world building make or break the book? Do you think about magic enough to ponder how it works in certain books? Do you think that sometimes these things can be overdone? Or too simple? I'd love to know what you think!

Other Reviews:

Words of Radiance (****) is a good book beset by minor problems: dialogue issues, a languid pace and often irrelevant-feeling (though often individually fun) side-chapters. At the same time it features much-improved characters, superior worldbuilding and some impressive action set-pieces. From The Wertzone

Ultimately, it is a beautiful book, a work of art in many ways that is a great length and a worthy addition to the epic fantasy lexicon that will look just great on your bookshelf when you’re done. From Bookbanter

Sanderson can still move at a slow pace sometimes, and the morality of his characters is frequently too black and white, but this series is an amazing achievement. From Chamber Four

This final scene is perhaps one of the better volume conclusions that Sanderson has written and despite my near-antipathy for many of the novel's component elements, I am curious enough that I will read the third volume whenever it is released. From The Of Blog

Book Review Discussion: Jabberwocky by Daniel Coleman

Book: Jabberwocky by Daniel Coleman
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating:★ ★ ★ ★ ★

For: Review, Supporting local authors
From: Received for free from the author, all opinions are my own.
(To be re-released later this summer)

Short Synopsis: This is the story behind the Lewis Carroll poem. Well, according to this particular author's imagination anyway! We have our hero, Tjaden, who wants to become a member of the Elite guard. Because of his prowess fighting off a bandersnatch and later his near-win in the sparring ring, he is chosen to join up. His dreams have come true. Now, if only he could be brave enough to talk to Alora, give her the ring he bought and make her understand his feelings for her. But now he might not have a chance because of that dang Jabberwock!

My Response: Guys... I loved this story! I'm not really that familiar with the poem, but of course I know of it. When you read it, it seems like total gibberish, a bunch of nonsense words and a story line that a normal person can't follow at all. (See poem below, along with an awesome reciting!) Well, no more. This fun and lovely story will lay to rest any issues you've ever had with that crazy Jabberwocky poem! All the words are explained and the story follows the poem in a fun, romantic, swashbuckling way, including a sort of twist at the end that is awesome. The characters are a blast. We have a shy and humble hero, a damsel in distress that isn't at all the weak sort of damsel one might expect, a quirky funny sidekick that tends to steal the scenes and the annoying "I'm the coolest" nemesis. Ah, but he causes some grief for our poor hero! And then there's the Jabberwock himself... and that's all I'm going to say about that!

Bottom line: I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but I ended up pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was and how much I loved it. It will turn out to be highlight of my summer reading I'm sure. Now, I must get my hands on Hatter, which I understand is a companion book and tells even more of the story.

Let's Talk About: This whole idea of taking a poem that's quite hard to understand and then turning it into an awesome story... I love it! What do you think? What other poems can we suggest to our favorite authors to "fix" for us? The Highwayman would make a great story, I'd say. How about you?

Other Reviews:

My favorite thing about JABBERWOCKY was the fact that Coleman took a poem full of nonsense and turned it into something real. From A Backwards Story

Daniel relates the gripping tale of a quiet hero, Tjaden, who, motivated only by resolving the problems posed to his family and friends, accomplishes the impossible. From Tristi Pinkston

If you are looking for an exciting, high-fantasy story with adventure, nail-biting suspense and romance, JABBERWOCKY is for you! I love this little gem of a book. From That's Swell

No, I’m not expecting a Jabberwocky to come flying overhead or to be threatened by a Bandersnatch, but in the world that was created, I believed that these things could happen. From The Paisley Reader

Just for fun, here's the poem:




"Jabberwocky"

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

from Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871).

Authors Pick Five: M.K. Hutchins

Yesterday I reviewed the debut novel, Drift, by author M.K. Hutchins. Today I'd like to spotlight her on my Authors Pick Five feature, which is where I ask this one question:

What five books are most important or influential to you?

Here's what she had to say:


The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. I think this is the first fantasy novel I read. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher. I love myths, fairy tales, and folklore, and this is a retelling of Scheherazade, one of the greatest story-tellers of all time. I reread this book I-don’t-know-how-many-times as a kid.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. This sparked my interested toward studying linguistics and anthropology, plus Samwise Gamgee got me through high school.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Okay. Picking one Sanderson novel is hard, but Mistborn is a good place to start. Sanderson’s writing has all the heroism and depth of worldbuilding that Tolkien taught me to crave, but with the sleek pace of modern fiction.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Yes, I even loved the ending to Mockingjay. I’m mesmerized by the depth and detail she gives in dealing with poverty, trauma, and everything else.

Drift is M.K. Hutchins' first novel. She has had several short stories published in Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show and Daily Science Fiction. She studied archealogy at BYU and has had the oppourtunity to be out in the field excavating. She's fascinated with everything to do about the Mayans. You can find her at her blog, and  on Twitter.


Thanks for joining me today! 

Book Review Discussion: Drift by M.K. Hutchins

Book: Drift by M.K. Hutchins
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
For: Review, Support local authors
From: Received for free from the publisher, Tu Books. All opinions are my own. 

Short Synopsis: This story takes place in a world where the people live on the backs of huge giant turtles swimming in the ocean. They have to make sure the turtle is properly feed and nourished or else their soil and earth won't be healthy enough support their crops. Our hero, Tenjat, wants nothing else except to be a Handler, one of the guys who "handles" the turtle and makes sure everything is going smoothly. He wants this life so he and his sister, both orphans who years before sought refuge on this particular turtle, can be secure in their future. As he fulfills this dream, he begins to find out more and more about his past and what's really going on with his world.

My Response: This story was a little hard for me to understand at first. The names and the world and the philosophy was a little hard to grasp. But, as the story went on and things began to be revealed, I got it! Yes. I got it. I know, sometimes I'm a little slow. But then, once I got it, it was pretty dang cool. And then when I was finished, I especially liked reading the author's note in the back that explains all the different things that inspired the story, much of it being Mayan culture.  It makes everything all make so much more sense! 

Bottom Line: In the end, I thought it was a very clever fantasy, even if it took me awhile to catch on.

Let's Talk About:  One of the strangest things about this world is that is was looked down upon to get married and have kids... to be a husband. This was, for them, the ultimate shame. Ah, it was so strange for me to read about something that is so far from my own feelings! What do you all think? Do you agree that one of the best things about reading is learning about a world (real or imaginary) that is so very very different from your own? (Actually, this little tidbit may not be that strange in our world, but it is in mine!) Even if it made me want to shout, NO!, I still find it fascinating to ponder the all the possibilities and other ways of life.

Other Reviews:

Hutchins writes a unique fantasy based in multiple mythologies in which she explores gender based roles, family structures, the environment and what we essentially believe about the cycle of life and death.  From Crazy QuiltEdi

Sharing My Creative Projects: A Blog Hop

Awhile back I was tagged by Belle of Ms Bookish to participate in a creativity blog hop. The idea here is to share a project you are working on and then answer a few questions. You can see Belle's awesome post here and get a glimpse into her writing and creative life. She's very inspiring and I want to be like her when I grow up!

So anyway, for some reason she thought I'd be a good candidate to participate in this hop! I'm not sure why as I'm so very new to the writing thing, and all my all creative endeavors seem to get dropped before they get finished. But I do love to try! Maybe trying is half the battle, I don't know. But creativity is definitely something I'm passionate about, so here's my attempt at sharing my projects with you and answering these few questions.


What am I working on?

I'm currently editing the first very very rough draft of the words I spilled out during my first Nano experience last November. I actually enjoy the process it's just that I'm having a struggle finding TIME!! Anyway, I'm very new at it all but I'm finding that I love printing the chapters out and then marking them up relentlessly with a red pen. It's a visual of progress! So papers like those above are all over the place right now!

Last year, or was it the year before, some quilting blogger buddies got me started on trying a hexagon quilt. This is as far as I've managed. And this is supposed to be just a wall hanging, not even a big quilt! It's something I can do while watching TV so you'd think I could manage it! Anyway, it's a project in progress, and one I hope to finish.

Many summers ago I started this scrap quilt. It's pretty labor intensive, so when other things took over, this one got dropped. I'm hoping that digging it up and sharing it here with you will get me bugged enough to work on it some more.

This is not my image, but this looks very familiar to what I've been working on most recently,and that is making movies/slideshows.  I'm working on a show for my parents' 50th anniversary which includes pictures from their childhoods all through their marriage, our family growing up, to recent days. That's a lot of pictures! And then putting it to music that they've requested. This movie will be premiering at a special dinner held in their honor this Friday.Then, we are off to a reunion and where we'll be showing a movie we made of the events of our past year, my own little family's past year. My daughter has been working on this one, and we are having fun trying to be very creative with videos, pictures and music to showcase all the stuff we've done this year.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Perhaps you could say it's all over the place? Maybe I've got my hand in too many creative pots? Yeah, I need to focus, I know, but still... it all needs doing,  you know? I'm being pulled by it all! I could also say that it differs in the fact that I pretty much have no idea what I'm doing and it's all very amateur and newbie and learning and in progress. But that's okay, right?

Why do I write/create what I do?

The answer here is very simple... because it's fun. And because I'd feel so totally frustrated and unfulfilled without some creative project in my life. So I guess I do it to cope and survive but mostly... to have fun. Why do I quilt? It's so rewarding and beautiful, even when I make massive mistakes and mess things up royally. Why do I write? To see what happens. Literally. Because it's all still a mystery to me!

How does my writing/creating process work?

Well, I'm still working on a process, but it seems my method so far is to just jump in with both feet and go for it. Luckily, I'm not much of a perfectionist, so this method seems to work for me. I expect to make a mess of things, to make mistakes and to fail all over the place, but I'm learning stuff and here's hoping I get better and learn a, shall we say, cleaner creative process before it's over!


Next on the list:

I've tagged Ang from Eastern Sunset Reads because I know she is involved in many many creative projects, like a very impressive amount! Including writing! I look forward to her answers to these questions!

And also Jessica from The Bluestocking Society who I also know gets very into being creative. I'm not sure what all her projects are at the moment, so I look forward to getting a peek at them!

Look for their posts next week!