Saturday 31 January 2015

Greta and the Goblin King (Mylena Chronicles #1) by Chloe Jacobs (Review)

   Thrown into another world as a thirteen year old girl, Greta adapts to a world of goblins, fae, fairies and trolls; all which utterly hate humans. Blending in also lead to becoming one of the most fierce and renowned hunters in the realm. 
    In this epic story of magical creatures and survival, Greta is also having to deal with the a grumpy and determined Goblin King. The romance between them is very steamy, but also confused me a lot with the certainty in the relationship between the Goblin King and Greta to suddenly acting like they can't stand each others presence. But that aside, Greta and the Goblin King is a riveting and addicting story. I do recommend Greta and the Goblin King to all those paranormal romance lovers out there. I give it the rating of THREE AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!


Friday 30 January 2015

Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2) by Chris Cannon (Review)

   In this awesome sequel to Going Down in Flames, the epic story of dragons and action continues. As a hybrid, Bryn stands against the order of a dictator like government. She is supposed to be impossible, or so they say.  In this roller coaster ride of a novel, the readers rise and fall with Chris' beautifully crafted sarcastic creation of Bryn as a character. This amazing story transports readers into an amazing world, leaving them unable to put down the book for a second. Bridges Burned is not chock full of action sequences, but when they happen they leave the reader satisfied. In this sequel the reader gets more information and development for the Rebellion mentioned a bunch in Going Down In Flames, but leaving enough that the reader is eager for more, and for the next novel in the series, and you know, dragons.
   I have to say, my favorite part of the novel was definitely Bryn's knight. His perfection left me, as a reader, swooning. His reactions to Bryn and her troubles were the cutest thing ever. I l love this series and totally recommend both Going Down In Flames and Bridges Burned and give Bridges Burned FOUR AND A HALF OUT OF FIVE STARS!
 *Advanced Readers Copy Review*


Tuesday 27 January 2015

Stung by Joss Stirling (Review)

    This epic secret agent romance is cut throat and wonderful. In Stung, Kate has been running away from the powerful gang known as the Scorpions for about a year, and believing that the scorpions have a infiltrator in the YDA, she runs from her former friends and partners too. Nathan loved Kate before she dropped off the map in a botched job with the dangerous Scorpions, and when she is sighted, he goes after her.
     This epic love story in chock full of great chase scenes, action scenes and *wink wink* kiss scenes. In this life and death situation, Nathan and Kate grow close together as they take on the bad guys. The development of these characters effectively emotionally attaches the reader to the characters in record time, and the plot development was very well done.  Joss Stirling once again writes an amazing YA romance novel that captivates the reader, and plays their heart strings. I was absolutely captivated by Stung and definitely recommend it to all! I give Stung the rating of FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS!
*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Saturday 24 January 2015

Soul Corossed (Of Demns and Angels #1) by Lisa Gail Green (Review)

     A demon and an angel both fighting for one soul, and by proxy to prevent/cause the end of the world. What happens when these souls are star-crossed? In this epic story of love, Heaven and Hell; Grace and Josh have died and are sent to their final destinations. When there, they are both recruited for a task, to sway the soul of a human named Camden. 
    Soul Crossed is an emotional roller coaster ride where the reader if forced to confront whether or not people are redeemable, and ultimately ask what good and evil truly is. The romance in Soul Crossed is intense and was very well done... well if not a wee bit rushed. The very position these lovers were in had me on the verge of tears for a good long time. This novel is definitely not for the feint of heart with some extremely freaky and dark content put throughout the story. I give Soul Crossed THREE AND A HALF OUT OF FIVE STARS!
*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Sunday 18 January 2015

The Boy with the Hidden Name (Otherworld #2) by Skylar Dorset (Review)

    Selkie and Ben continue their adventure. Kelsey, Will and Safford are all along for the ride in this sequel novel to The Girl Who Never Was. We learn so much more about the other Feys involved in the prophecy as well as more about Selkie’s aunts and her dad, and Ben’s mom and Selkie’s mom, and this elaboration is a great improvident to the story. There is so much that takes place in this book, its is never boring. It’s unbelievable how much happens and how fast. It is one of those types of adventures you should probably buckle up for because it’s going to be a fast and incredible ride.
        I really enjoyed reading this book, it helped to add to the storyline as well as to conclude it in such a thought provoking mind boggling way. I love the twist that was thrown in, in the end of the book, it was just perfect for the storyline, simply perfect. I give The Boy with the Hidden Name FOUR AND A HALF OUT OF FIVE STARS!
*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Saturday 17 January 2015

The Sham by Ellen Allen (Review)

    I could barely put it down. I don't want to spoil much of the plot, but I will say that it's about a girl called Emily in a small town in the North of England called 'The Sham'. Small town life gets disrupted when mysterious words start appearing around town, a girl goes missing, a strange boy called Jack appears.
    I really enjoyed reading this, and I liked Emily as a character, though I wish she'd been a little more able to stand up for herself and the little boy in the first chapter, I felt when something so shocking is going on, you'd react a bit more strongly. She just sort of watched, until Jack turned up to save the day. The book can be quite disorientating at times, as you try to figure out exactly what is going on, and whether any of these things are related. Sometimes mystery novels leave you with a few too many clues and you start to unravel the ending before you get there, but with this one I honestly had no clue what was going on with the missing girls, and Jack was such an enigma.
I was engrossed until the very last page, and give The Sham the rating of FOUR STARS OUT OF FIVE!
*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

The Girl Who Never Was (Otherworld #1) by Skylar Dorset (Review)

     The Girl Who Never Was is a very unique young-adult fantasy. Selkie – half-faerie, half-ogre – goes in search of her mother with her crush (and faerie), Ben. This story was extremely fast pace and is very hard to keep up with. It’s almost too much sometimes, with events following one another in a dizzying fashion leaving little room to breathe, and the narration sometimes felt a bit distant and made it hard to connect to Selkie. The mystical universe was interesting with its separate yet connected universes and its many many mystical creatures that capture the attention of the reader very effectively. This tale is both simple and complex, original and often bizarre.This magical novel became more and more interesting as the story went on. I give the Girl Who Never Was the rating of THREE AND A HALF STARS!

Friday 9 January 2015

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Elizabeth Dutton!

Bio
      Elizabeth Dutton was born and raised in California. She always considered her upbringing relatively normal, but each decade of adult reflection has further revealed her family and childhood to be both bohemian and completely eccentric. She wrote her earliest literary work, a 27-volume illustrated epic chronicling the adventures of the eponymous “Fop Girl,” at the age of four. Sadly, this single-copy edition was lost forever years later to an El Niño dampened garage. Such is the impermanence of life.
    Elizabeth Dutton went to Catholic school and was incredibly well behaved. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, Davis, in English with a minor in Film. Her undergraduate days were filled with crossword puzzles, poetry and BMX bikes. She was fortunate to study Poetry Creative Writing under both Gary Snyder and Sandra McPherson, two keen artists who fostered her love of words and turns of phrase. After a number of years working in offices with fluorescent lighting (including a stint as the Special Projects Manager at Mother Jones Magazine – a gig that took her to many clean energy festivals, book fairs and Woodstock ‘99), she pined for foreign shores and a future of uncertain employment, which prompted a move to Scotland and enrollment in the prestigious University of Glasgow Creative Writing Graduate Program.

Upon graduation, she returned to the United States. Although a lifelong Californian (and 5th generation Bay Area resident), she chose to leave the Golden State and move to the middle of nowhere in the rural South. Surrounded by dogs, chickens, gardens and the loveliest of trees, Elizabeth Dutton writes constantly and teaches English at the local community college.

What has she written?
She has written: 
Driftwood: A Novel and 1,033 Reasons to Smile

Now on to the Interview!
1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?
I *begged* my mother to teach me to read when I was about three. I was a real jerk about it. She kept telling me to wait and I would learn at school. When she couldn't take my nagging anymore, she sent me to a school for precocious little ones and I started reading. Once that happened, I began to write and never stopped. I used to write really obscure little books that I would sew up to bind them and do readings for my family -- I was, like, five. I would get frustrated if they didn't get the point. Thankfully, they put up with me to this day!

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?
I like books that stay with me for a while after reading them, books that make me think about deeper issues. I also love gorgeous language in books and savor beautiful lines and turns of phrase. I would hope my readers would gain something like that from my work. 

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?
a) write the book, story, or poem you want to read but haven't found yet
b) don't worry about publication or anything like that; write for yourself and everything will fall into place
c) a blank page is just endless possibilities and for every setback, there's always a blank page waiting for your ideas

4) What is your favourite novel, why?
I think One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel GarcĂ­a Márquez is my favorite. I adore the genre of magical realism and the poetry of the prose. It is a masterwork. 

5) Who is your favourite author, why?
I love John Steinbeck for a million reasons. The Grapes of Wrath is one of the finest novels ever written (that would be my runner up for the previous question). He also captures California like no other author and shines a light on the life of ordinary people. And, again, there is a simple poetic beauty to his turns of phrase that I can't resist. 

6) What are your favorite past times besides writing?
I love gardening, going to tide pools, reading, playing with my dogs, being outside. Boring stuff. My wild years are behind me, 

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?
My grandmother, who helped raises me, always told me that only boring people get bored. She was a voracious reader and social activist. She never did anything in a conventional manner, and she is still an inspiration to me. She knew that the only limits we have are our own imaginations. If you want it, create it. 

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?
I don't really have a "bucket list." If I want to do something, I do it. I wish I had time and money for more travel. But I have no regrets and am content in the here and now.

9) What is your funniest childhood memory?
My brother used to do hilarious pratfalls in the supermarket that made it seem as if he'd truly injured himself. The noise came from him slapping his palm on the floor, of course. This would send me into complete laughter, which strangers found especially cruel as my brother moaned in fake pain on the ground. Maybe you had to be there. 

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?
Read. Question everything. Read more. Kindness is way more important than material things. Read some more. 
That's more than one thing, but we'll just have to live with that.

Thursday 8 January 2015

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Beth Revis!

Bio
    Beth Revis is the New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and IndieBound bestselling author of the Across the Universe series (Razorbill/Penguin ), as well as several in-world short stories published in various anthologies. The books are currently available in more than 20 languages.
     Her book, A Million Suns, was hailed by the LA Times as “a fast-paced, action-packed follow-up.” Shades of Earth, the final volume, was called a “tense and delicious ride” by The Examiner.
    A former teacher, Beth lives in rural North Carolina with her husband and dog. Currently, she is working on a new science fiction trilogy title for self publication and two forthcoming novels for Penguin/Razorbill.

What has she written?
She has written: Across the Universe, A Million Suns, Shades of Earth, As They Slip Away, The Body Electric and Love Is A Choice!


Now on to the Interview!

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?
I remember very proudly having a story posted on the wall of my teacher's classroom when I was in first grade--that's probably the moment that I wanted to be a writer!

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?
Anything, as long as they feel something.

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?
Treat every book as if it was the one. Give it all the love, care, and attention as you would if you knew it would make you a billion dollars.
Care about the art. Writing is an art, and it IS a business, but the more important part is the art.
Don't compromise yourself, but be willing to grow and become better than what you currently are.

4) What is your favourite novel, why?
Probably CS Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It taught me that books are more than just ink and paper, and that they have meaning beyond the words written. It was a life changing moment for me.

5) Who is your favourite author, why?
Probably JK Rowling--she combines deep, meaningful writing with humor, and that's an impressive skill.

6) What are your favorite pass times besides writing?
Travel! I love to explore new worlds and cultures.

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?
My father instilled a deep love of story-telling in me at a very early age--I remember his voice reading stories to my brother and me after supper.

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?
Circumnavigate the world.
Go to a movie premier of something based off my work.
Have my own writing cottage.
Never be too far away from a puppy.
Know that my works have helped make someone happy.

9) What is your funniest childhood memory?
I once tried to show a friend that she shouldn't be scared of falling down while ice skating by purposefully falling down in front of her...and action which caused my pants to split!

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?
Live the most adventurous life you can--do things that scare you, reach out to people you don't know, do be afraid to live.

Tuesday 6 January 2015

March 8th Anniversary Teaser!

  Now, lets do a game! I will show you some portions of book covers of some of the books that I will be giving away March 8th 2015, and your job is to guess which book it is in the comments! Here we go!


   Be Prepared! Coming March 8th 2015, there will be giveaways, Giveaways, GIVEAWAYS! This will be a monumental celebration of my first year anniversary of The Not So Public Library, and being a YA reviewer! I will being giving away books, swag packs, signed bookmarks and other awesome treats. In addition to that epicness, there will be phenomenal YA authors guest staring and chatting with all of ya'll. Some will even be speaking to you guys as their characters!! Mark this awesome event on your calendars and be there!

    On March 8th, chats, games and mini giveaways will be taking place on the Facebook event, link here:
TNSPLblog Anniversary Party!

     And for larger giveaways (of which there will be many of), they will be hosted here on The Not So Public Library! But don't worry, I'll be keeping all of the Facebook attendees up to date and aware of all of the giveaway developments over here!
Save the date!! Be there and bring your friends for an awesome celebration of everything Young-Adult and The Not So Public Library!

Going Down in Flames (Going Down in Flames #1) by Chris Cannon (Review)

    Simply epic. I love the world of dragons and magic Chris Cannon weaves. I was captivated and want nothing more then to be a dragon myself and jump into the story with the characters. Bryn has just been sucked into a world that was supposed to be impossible, where her very existence was supposed to be impossible. She is a dragon, but not just any dragon, she is a half breed. She is a half red and half blue dragon. She has control over the elements of ice and fire. She has to face a governmental system and a culture that hates her for her very existence. This epic tale of fire and magic, you get sucked in and captivated. With its action and romance, Going Down in Flames is a must read. I, obviously, definitely recommend Going Down in Flames and give it the rating  FOUR AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!
*Advance Readers Copy review*

Monday 5 January 2015

Extinction Game by Gary Gibson (Review)

   Could you survive the end of the world? Jerry Beche is the last man on earth, or at least until he meets a group of people known only as ‘The Authority’, and he soon discovers that he has been recruited as a pathfinder. The pathfinders are a group of people who explore apocalyptic parallel universes, however there is something about the Authority that isn’t quite right.
     The reader is thrown immediately into the action, and left reeling at the first chapter, struggling to initially get their head around what was happening, but as information is given to the reader things became clearer. After that the reader get sucked in and held captive. Extinction Game takes the overworked dystopian genre and gives it an exciting twist. There are many apocalyptic parallel universes, all with imaginative reasons for their demise. The characters are well fleshed out and are very interesting. I would recommend this book to others, as it is such an interesting take on such a popular genre (Science Fiction). I give Extinction Game FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS!
*Advance Readers Copy review*


Saturday 3 January 2015

Stranger (The Change #1) by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith (Review)

     In a fictional post-apocalyptic world an injured young man finds refuge in a odd magical town, after discovering a treasure that someone else wants badly enough to kill for. In Stranger, there is definitely waaaaay too many characters to follow, which never really allows the reader to become invested in any of them. The characters of Mia and Jennie were also too similar and I was often confused about which one I was following. There was some action, and it was definitely exciting, but these scenes were few and far between. I felt like I needed a to make a list of all the  character and their connections to keep up with everyone, and that prevented the story from flowing coherently. I definitely don't recommend Stranger and give it the rating of two out of five stars.
*Advance Readers Copy Review*

Friday 2 January 2015

Broken Skies (Broken Skies #1) by Theresa Kay (Review)

    Aliens, abductions, and romance. Oh my! The end of the world has come and gone, and 90% of the human population is dead. Not long after, an alien species known as the E’rikon lands on the planet and unexpectedly... just completely ignores the humans. Well, that is until they land in a field and take Jax's twin brother Jace. Jax will do anything to save her brother, including work with another alien named Lir. As they travel to save her brother, love starts to kindle.
     I very much enjoyed  Broken Skies with its riveting adventure and romance. The sparks were flying and the story was catching fire. Theresa Kay was a genius as she put so many opportunities and character diversity in her novel. It left the reader constantly guessing and predicting. This novel was extremely interesting and I really enjoyed reading it. I simply cannot wait for the next novel in the Broken Skies series. I definitely recommend this book and give it the rating of FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS!
*Advanced Reader's Copy review*