Feature and Follow Friday

Hosted by: Parajunkee and Alison Can Read

Q: What were some of your favorite picture books as a kid? If you have kids, what are your favorites to read to them?

The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed

On a moonlit night. . .

In the magic of a moonshower, a childless couple finds a dozen tiny babies in a meadow. 

Written in classic folktale tradition, illustrated with astonishing paintings, 

The Rainbabies is woven from magic and moonbeams.

There are not enough words to even explain how much I love this story, and what it means to me. My daughter and I love it just as I loved it in the lap of my favorite Aunt who passed when Brenna was young. The story is of a couple who want children so badly that they follow an old wives tale about standing under the rain while the moon is out. And what happens next is a wonderful, heartwarming tale, and lots of ups and downs. 

Wish List Wednesday hosted by Pen to Paper

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted at Pen to Paper!

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Summary:

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose. 

Why?:

Lauren has become one of my favorite authors, simply because she seems so down to earth. Her twitter is always cracking me up, her books are always very well rounded, and despite my own hang ups with this book. I totally had a character named Judas who lives on a flying Steampunk island. (click that)

And I'm trying so hard to be the bigger person and not cry like a little bitch. Really I can't wait. 

I have to say I'm pretty excited to read this book. I haven't had the chance to read the third book in her first series yet, but I loved the first two so much I'm itching to get through the few ARCs I have to get to reading what I want again. Lauren seems like such a nice girl, and even put one of her 'poor' reviews as her twitter background, 

It just really says something about a person who can roll with the harsh things people say, and how much of a strong person she must be to just be able to brush off the ignorant things people say. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but like I said before--it just better be an educated one. Find that post here.

For more information about Lauren find her website here: http://www.laurendestefano.com

For more information about Clockwork RPG, a great place with some pretty awesome players check it out here: Clockworkrpg.com 

I'm trying so hard to not be a jealous bitch, this is not the first flying island in history, and Judas is the most common bad guy name right?? Right?? Emily?? Right?? Though if he sprouts bat wings put together by dicey science so help me bob, Imma go on a witch hunt. 

In all seriousness, role playing forums are one of the best way to build characters for your own stories. It's a great way to flesh out little kinks and faults in their story lines or personality. There is a thin line between right and wrong when taking them for your own books, but I scrapped my novel last year; moving forward with another. But check out Clockwork, it's a lot of fun!

Next time i'll probably do this meme, so catch that one here:

Hosted by: http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com

Tune In Tuesday!

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! This feature was originally created by Ginger over at GReads! but you can now find it here at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands. If you would like to participate in this weekly feature, make a blog post showcasing a song (or a few!) and link up at the bottom of this post by clicking the cute blue guy! While you’re here make sure to check out all the other awesome blogs that have decided to participate!

I love doing these, and this whole month is about covers! I have to brag about this next one because it really just puts a smile on my face. Todrick Hall and the very talented voices of Pentatonix put together a Wizard of Oz video that is composed of a few really great songs including, Cups by Anna Kendrick, Trouble by Taylor Swift, and Teeth by Lady Gaga. 

I first discovered Todrick Hall with his Beauty and the Beast parody song called Beaty and the Beat, and then I found another of his called Cinderfella which is an amazing little video about legalizing love and allowing ourselves to step forward with same sex marriage. It mixes some of Disney's best songs with some modern twists. 

I highly recommend going through his entire channel, he's very talented and any time I'm having a bad day I just go watch a few of his videos and sing along. 

Also, don't forget to check out the very talented voice talents of Pentatonix, especially this cover of Imagine Dragon's Radioactive:

Also, this one is for you Meag as it totally has violin legend Lindsey Stirling!

Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Summary:

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him? (...more info)

My Review:

This book caught my eye when I picked it up, I was instantly drawn in by the cover. Other than it felt a little dusty and gross I was eager to get it home. This book was one of many purchased at Half Price Book's Labor Day Sale on the Columbus trip with my book club to meet Rae Carson. The Author has been in and out of my book circles for a good long while, especially since I'm a huge fan of Cassandra Clare and Holly Black who are always tweeting about Sarah. I even found a few things in Sarah's book that I thought was a friendly nod to her friends, like character names. So needless to say when I saw the author on the book their was no doubt that it was going home with me. 

With that being said, I gave this book 3 1/2 stars. The premiss of the story was absolutely breathtaking, but there were just a few little things that I myself would have done differently. With many imaginary friends of my own growing up, what I wouldn't have given to have them turn out to be real. Eventually they became characters in my books, but man this whole thing just spoke to my heart. However, when Kami and Jared finally meet I just...I guess I expected more than just an awkward elevator ride.

I really wasn't particularly drawn to any of the characters in this book, and I certainly didn't relate to too many of them; but that doesn't mean they were bad. I'm not a huge fan of the name Kami, but I think that is because of Cam's Ham down the street. And that isn't very fair of me to judge Sarah's choice in names, but Kami just sort of fell flat. All of the characters did, but not enough I was rolling my eyes the entire time or hated them. I just had a hard time connecting with them.

It was a good book really, the intrigue and plot behind it kept my attention and kept me guessing. It was eerie and very gothic in it's ideas. I really enjoyed that, and I'll be excited to see where the next book goes. I believe it is to be released this month? Will it be first on my list of novels to read--no, but it will be one of many that I have waiting for a good cold rainy day where I can snuggle close to my family and a good book. 

What about you? Have you read Sarah Rees Brennan's books? If so, which one was your favorite and why? 

Feature and Follow Friday hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee

Hosted by: Parajunkee and Alison Can Read

Q: It is up to you to do a Kickstarter campaign for your favorite book!!! Who are you casting for the main characters?

This is a pretty interesting question, thanks guys! I agree with what Alison said about being afraid of movies about books, especially after watching The City of Bones. Though I did not hate the movie, I for sure left there scratching my head, and wanting more! (Thankfully they are delaying the film to finish the script, and do a little re-write.)

Anyway, a book that I wouldn't mind them giving a shot at only because it would be a huge challenge is one of my favorites The Giver by Lois Lowry. 

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

I can remember this book making such a huge huge huge impact on me growing up, and being so blown away by it. It shocked me and surprised me, and I think with the lack of 'inspirational' films out right now, this would be a great challenge. However...I'm not sure they could pull it off, but I certainly would help them raise money to give it a chance!

*edit* Holy cow they ARE making a film. I just realized I forgot my cast and did a search and BOOM there it is. 

My dream cast would be:

The Giver: Ian McKellen

Big surprise there right? He just rocks that beard so hard, and is such a great actor.

A few of you asked about Jonas and all I could think of was this little boy:

Jonas: Asa Butterfield

Review: Thin Space by Jody Casella

Summary From Goodreads:

Ever since the car accident that killed his twin brother, Marshall Windsor has been consumed with guilt and crippled by secrets of that fateful night. He has only one chance to make amends, to right his wrongs and set things right. He must find a Thin Space—a mythical point where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to step through to the other side.

But, when a new girl moves into the house next door, the same house Marsh is sure holds a thin space, she may be the key—or the unraveling of all his secrets.

As they get closer to finding a thin space—and closer to each other—Marsh must decide once and for all how far he’s willing to go to right the wrongs of the living…and the dead.

My Review:

You know, I sat down this evening expecting to get pulled into the first few chapters and go to bed, it’s now 1:30am and I’m now just trying to digest what just happened to me. I can’t say it was a bad book, very sure of that, but I don’t know...Guess I can’t tell you what I truly think without spoiling everything. I loved it, I really did, but man I...just...can't tell you. However, I can say this….

This is Jody Casella’s first novel, and though she has been writing for a very long time (according to the back sleeve) I can imagine how hard it must have been to write something like this. Jody does an incredible job with telling this rather eerie little tale. First of all the writing was fluid and very easy to read. I was able to follow the story rather well, and though the ending….ugh spoilers.

ALDSKFJAL;SDFKJA;SLKFJA;OIUALKJASD;FLJKASDFLJASDF

I recommend this book, especially for the little twist in the end that somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I saw coming, but flat out refused to believe. Why? I guess I’m a helpless ‘Happily Ever After’ sort of person, and though this wasn’t a bad ending at all...it’s left me rather speechless?

The characters in the book were so cute, especially Maddie whose ‘Pa’ (Pie), ‘Baa’ (Bye), and Ya’ll (You all) reminded me so very much of home. It’s funny how jarring a deep woods accent can sound after you’ve been away from it for so long, and though she had many other cute little quirks I really enjoyed how I could relate to her in this particular way.

I found myself laughing a few times in the beginning and crying nearly right away. The raw emotion and turmoil that poor...Au-Marsh, put himself through was really well conveyed. He was dealing with his grief in a very realistic way. His angry outbursts and over all ups and downs really broadcasted well into my own times going through those little rough patches, and Jody did a really great job with helping smooth out those thin lines between life and death. I really feel that Marsh was in his own purgatory, even without crossing through to the Thin Space, but I suppose that was what the book was truly about wasn’t it?

One thing that really stuck out to me was the lack of Faith and Religion, but not in a bad way. I love me some angel books don’t get me wrong, but man it sure was refreshing to read a book about the space between without having those religious strings pulled.

I actually had the privilege of sitting in an author question and answer a few weeks back (has it been that long, I swear I'll blog about it), and I can remember just based on her questions alone I was going to be picking that book up. I expect her to have a very healthy successful career as a novelist because I have to say I didn’t (and did in a small way) see that ending coming, I really enjoyed the ride.

Finally, today something rather strange happened that stuck out in my mind while reading this book. While making plans to get a friend's child today for a play date I was given an address that I put into Google Maps to get directions. Little background: Meag's great grandmother passed away leaving her this house, and while searching for the house I spotted the only human being I have ever seen on Google Maps. Like for realz, they photoshop the heck out of that, but there she is. I'm sure this picture was taken before her passing, but it was very haunting to see her sitting there as if waiting for us to return and find out, that porch is in fact a Thin Space.

Meag, don't let Wolf walk around barefoot alright?

~Lily

Tune In Tuesday: Cover Edition

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! This feature was originally created by Ginger over at GReads! but you can now find it here at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands. If you would like to participate in this weekly feature, make a blog post showcasing a song (or a few!) and link up at the bottom of this post by clicking the cute blue guy! While you’re here make sure to check out all the other awesome blogs that have decided to participate!

Again I don't have a lot of time, but I really wanted the chance to promote this great little vintage style band who has some KILLER covers of popular songs. I mean really, who doesn't love to hear the word twerk like a classy swing singer from the 1940's.

And my personal favorite.

But let's not stop there. How about Thrift Shop?

Find more information on the group here.

Facebook: Click me!

Youtube: Click me!

Feature and Follow Friday #2

Hosted by: Parajunkee and Alison Can Read

What type of books do you mainly blog about?

Mostly young adult and either classic or trending LGBT literature. As a teenager growing up I too was fascinated and admired by this secret little topic of being gay. I was unfortunately old enough to remember what happened to Matthew Shepard and so horrified by it that my group of friends started a Gay Straight Alliance at our high school. It helped raise awareness and tolerance for same sex love, and the best part it’s still going strong all these years (too many) later!

So ultimately I hope that a few of you who are in fact growing up feeling rather different in your life find my little blog and realize that you are not alone. (and never were)

I also encourage you to start your own GSA, it really made a huge difference in my little hometown.

~Lily

p.s. Sorry for the lack of updates. It's just been so wild!!

Review: As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann

Summary:
In the seventeenth century, the English Revolution is under way. The nation, seething with religious and political discontent, has erupted into violence and terror. Jacob Cullen and his fellow soldiers dream of rebuilding their lives when the fighting is over. But the shattering events of war will overtake them.
A darkly erotic tale of passion and obsession, As Meat Loves Salt is a gripping portrait of England beset by war. It is also a moving portrait of a man on the brink of madness. Hailed as a masterpiece, this is a first novel by a most original new voice in fiction.


Review:
I'm not even sure what in the world just happened to me. I finished this book on Saturday and wanted to give myself a little time to digest it. As a large fan of both meat and salt I was curious to see the connection, and realized very quickly that it was just a simple term of endearment. (I wasn't really expecting much more I promise) However, as the book went on the endearment started to have a good deal of a bitter aftertaste.

This book, like many books of the ear started out with a very well to do pace, setting it kind of like you would imagine Jane Austin going about her every day life, but while our main character is sweeping the bottom of a pond for a dead body I realized very quickly that My Dear Mr. Bennett wasn't all there in the head. From then on the whole thing came at me fast, the romance a rather beautifully written one with enough space between to have me cheering for it to work out (despite the bit of failure that followed.)

Maria's characters were very well fleshed out, and I did have a good soft spot for them all. However, it was Jacob that took the lead, and though we learn he's a bit of a sadistic asshat (aren't we all?) I still found myself wanting him to succeed with Ferris. I suppose that is what caught me off guard. Without too many spoilers, my heart is broken...empty. I've left this book not on a high note, nor in the sort where even a character death (spoiler alert, no one dies) makes me feel. I think honestly that maybe I read it too fast, my heart pounding through the chapters just a little too quickly in hopes of finding that happily ever after...

I'm honestly without words, but not 100% in the good way. I truly have just thought about this book the entire past few days trying to put together my thoughts for a good well rounded review, but they are just not coming--and that finds me a little at odds.

I don't know how I feel about the book. And this...is perhaps what she was going for? Maria McCann really captured the time period really well, and for that I had to give her high marks. A lot of the phrases and descriptions that she used were spot on to some of the English Lit from that era, and I am really impressed with how well she made you care about both sides of Jacob.

I would recommend this book for sure, but would I put it on your highest list? No. But if it's out there and you want something that will have your heart hammering the entire way? Go for it.

3/5 Stars for As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann, and the highest recommendation of taking your time with it.

Much love,
Lily