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Monthly Archives: April 2017

[GIVEAWAY SPECIAL] 13 Reasons Why TV Show Review | Cinedote

29 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 35 Comments

Many of you have already heard of Netflix’s controversial new series 13 Reasons Why which is based on the YA book by Jay Asher and explores the events leading up to a young girl’s suicide as well as the repercussions. Trang over at https://bookidote.com has written one of the best reviews of it that I’ve come across, so I felt the need to share.

Bookidote

I think everyone has heard about this TV Show for a while now, but for those of you who haven’t, here’s a brief summary: Clay Jensen discovers a box of 13 tapes recorded by Hannah Baker. She committed suicide before recording those and explained to him the 13 reasons why she ended her life.  And of course, it was a book adaptation! *thumbs up for book magic * There’s a lot of controversies surrounding this show and I think this post was much needed to express my opinion about it. I came to an agreement with myself that in this particular situation, I won’t read the book before watching it. Simply because I wanted to have an unbiased opinion of the TV show without having to compare the books vs. the movie feeling. I want this review to be only about the TV show.

tvshowreview

MY RATING: ★★★★★

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One Perfect Lie, By Lisa Scottoline – 4.0 Stars

26 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 50 Comments

Tags

Adult Fiction, Domestic Terrorism, Family relationshis, Mystery, Suspense

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Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

384 Pages

Synopsis: On paper, Chris Brennan looks perfect. He’s applying for a job as a high school government teacher, he’s ready to step in as an assistant baseball coach, and his references are impeccable.

But everything about Chris Brennan is a lie.

Susan Sematov is proud of her son Raz, a high school pitcher so athletically talented that he’s being recruited for a full-ride scholarship to a Division 1 college, with a future in major league baseball. But Raz’s father died only a few months ago, leaving her son in a vulnerable place where any new father figure might influence him for good, or evil.

Heather Larkin is a struggling single mother who lives for her son Jordan’s baseball games. But Jordan is shy, and Heather fears he is being lured down a dark path by one of his teammates, a young man from an affluent family whose fun-loving manner might possibly conceal his violent tendencies.

Mindy Kostis succumbs to the pressure of being a surgeon’s wife by filling her days with social events and too many gin and tonics. But she doesn’t knw that her husband and son, Evan, are keeping secrets from her–secrets that might destroy all of them.

At the center of all of them is Chris Brennan. Why is he there? What does he want? And what is he willing to do to get it?

Not surprisingly given the title and author, One Perfect Lie is filled with enough twists and turns to make your head spin. There’s plenty of suspense, and the final third of the book plays out like your favorite action movie. So, you may be asking why I didn’t give this a higher rating. It’s a little difficult to explain without revealing major spoilers, but for me, my biggest issue was with Chris Brennan. He is a master manipulator of the teens he’s involved with, and even though there’s a twist to his story, I still couldn’t forgive him. Lisa Scottoline took a chance here with including so many sub-plots, but for the most part they worked. I especially loved the backstories of the three mothers involved. Each of them is going through a life crisis and you can’t help but feel for them. Equally well-written are their sons: Jordan, Evan, and Raz. In the end One Perfect Lie is part thriller, part family drama, and part mystery, with plenty of red herrings thrown in. I have to say I didn’t guess entirely what the outcome was going to be until right before the big reveal. The story isn’t perfect or deep, but it is a page-turner that should definitely appeal to the author’s multitude of fans.

Whimsical Wednesday – National Poetry Month Edition

19 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

National Poetry Month, Shel Silverstein, Whimsical Wednesday

220px-Ssilverstein

Picture Puzzle Piece

One picture puzzle piece

Lyin’ on the sidewalk,

One picture puzzle piece

Soakin’ in the rain.

It might be a button of blue

On the coat of a woman

Who lived in a shoe.

It might be a magical bean

Or a fold in the red

Velvet robe of a queen.

It might be the veil of a bride

Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.

It might be a small tuft of hair

On the big bouncy belly

Of Bobo the Bear.

It might be a bit of the cloak

From the Wicked Witch of the West

As she melted to smoke.

It might be a shadowy trace

Of a tear that runs down an angel’s face.

Nothing has more possibilities

Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.

Shel Silverstein

True North (True Born Trilogy), by L.E. Sterling – 3.5 Stars

18 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 35 Comments

Tags

Adventure, Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

true-north-le-sterling-blog-tour-600x259

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Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

400 Pages

Synopsis: Abandoned by her family in Plague-ridden Dominion City, eighteen-year-old Lucy Fox has no choice but to rely on the kindness of the True Borns, a renegade group of genetically enhanced humans, to save her twin sister, Marot. But Nolan Storm, their mysterious leader, has his own agenda. When Storm backtracks on his promise to rescue Margot, Lucy takes her fate into her own hands and sets off for Russia with her True Born bodyguard and maybe-something-more, the lethal yet beautiful Jared Price. In Russia, there’s been whispered rumors of a Plague Cure.

While Lucy fights her magnetic attraction to Jared, anxious that his loyalty to Storm will hurt her chances of finding her sister, they quickly discover that not all is as it appears…and discovering the secrets contained in the Fox sisters’ blood before they wind up dead is just the beginning.

As they say in Dominion, sometimes it’s not you…it’s your DNA.

I’ve been looking forward to True North since I finished its predecessor, True Born, and although I think it suffers a slight case of the dreaded “sequelitis”, there were still parts I enjoyed. I think my biggest problem was that there just didn’t seem to be as much action in this as there was with the first. After the exciting conclusion in True Born, I assumed that in addiction to more action-packed fight scenes, we’d also get a better picture of Russia and how it differs from Dominion. I was also expecting more information regarding the different societal factions, as well as more revelations about the Fox sisters. While there are some more answers given about Lucy and Margot, they don’t come until near the end, and there is nothing new imparted about the Preachers or the True Borns, which left me a bit frustrated. My last complaint is in regards to Lucy and Jared’s romantic relationship, or rather the lack of one. Jared drove me absolutely up the wall with his hot and cold attitude toward her, and even when he finally explained himself, I just didn’t buy it. He reminded me too much of Edward Cullen in Twilight, (which is a whole other topic for another day). But, there were also some positive aspects to balance the negatives. Lucy, who I really liked in the previous book, continued to grow and find herself here. She was more self-confident and willing to rely on her own instincts even if it meant going against what others were telling her. I have a feeling that she’s truly going to be a force to be reckoned with. There was also a new character named Alistair who I thought was intriguing and likable, and I hope there’s much more about him in the next book. Nolan Storm, the enigmatic leader of the True Borns, came across even more interesting here, and left me wondering what his true motivations are toward Lucy and Margot. Thankfully the action did pick up a little in the second half and the ending was a satisfying set-up for the third book. While True North was a little disappointing, I’m still hopeful that the next book will regain all the excitement that True Born was filled with. 

l._e._sterling

About the Author:

L.E. Sterling had an early obsession with sci-fi, fantasy and romance to which she remained faithful even through an M.A in Creative Writing and a PhD in English Literature–where she completed a thesis on magical representation. She is the author of two previous novels, the cult hit YA novel The Originals (under pen name L.E. Vollick), dubbed “the Catcher in the Rye of a new generation” by one reviewer, and the urban fantasy Pluto’s Gate. Originally hailing from Parry Sound, Ontario, L.E. spent most of her summers roaming across Canada in a van with her father, a hippie musician, her brothers and an occasional stray mutt–inspiring her writing career. She currently lives in Toronto, Ontario.

 

 

 

 

 

Changes

08 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 134 Comments

Tags

Changes

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Hi Everyone. So a few weeks back I had to take a week off due to my ongoing battle with migraines and other health issues. Unfortunately, while I’ve commenced with posting again, my health issues haven’t improved any, so I’m forced to come up with a new plan. I’m still going to be blogging, but it may be a bit more sporadic than every day. I’m finding I just can’t keep up with daily reviews without it taking more of a toll on me. I’ll do my best to keep up with everyone’s posts and as always I thank you all for the wonderful support you’ve all shown me.

Lovely Literary Lines – National Poetry Month

08 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

National Poetry Month, Robert Frost

220px-Robert_Frost_NYWTS

 

The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that, the passing there

Has worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that made all the difference.

  • Robert Frost

Castaways – By Jessika Fleck – 4.0 Stars

06 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 45 Comments

Tags

Bullying, Fantasy, Friendship, YA Fiction

30973550

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing and eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

320 Pages

Synopsis: The Castaway Carnival: fun, mysterious, dangerous.

Renowned for it’s infamous corn maze…and the kids who go missing in it.

When Olive runs into the maze, she wakes up on an isolated and undetectable island where a decades-long war between two factions of rival teens is in full swing.

Trapped, Olive must slowly attempt to win each of her new comrades’ hearts as Will–their mysterious, stoically quiet, and handsome leader–steals hers.

Olive is only sure about one thing: her troop consists of the good guys, and she’ll do whatever it takes to help them win the war and get back home.

The Castaways is a clever novel that is a combination of Mean Girls and Lord of the Flies. As the story begins, Olive Maxi Gagmuehler is being tormented by three high school classmates. A couple of the things they do to her are definitely cringe-worthy, so beware. Everything comes to a head one night when after being once again attacked, at a carnival, Olive runs into a corn maze and suddenly finds herself trapped on an island with teens from different time periods. the only thing they have in common is they were all running away from something or someone, when they landed n this mysterious island. Olive is someone that many teens will relate to, especially if they’re victims of bullying. While she’s clearly terrified of her attackers, she also fights back against her tormenters. Once she’s on The Island, it quickly becomes apparent that this is no oasis of safety. While the teens and two young children in her group are for the most part welcoming, there’s another group that seems determined to wipe them out. But one of the best parts about this story is that nothing and no one is what they seem. Olive is the one constant, and she not only becomes the catalyst for change on the Island, but she goes through a journey of self-discovery that leaves her a stronger person by the end of the book. There were a couple of things that prevented this from being a perfect read for me. While I liked Will, Olive’s love interest, I never really bought into their romance for some reason. I’m not sure if it was just me, but there just didn’t seem to be any sparks. It almost seemed like they were forced together because of the circumstances, rather than there being real emotion behind their relationship. And, there were a couple of plot holes, particularly in regards to Olive’s tormenters that weren’t filled in enough for me. For the most part though, I thought The Castaways was imaginative and unique. It also does a good job at tackling the subject of bullying and sends a strong message that running away is never a positive solution to solving problems. It’s a book that should hold wide appeal for teens and I think it would also make an excellent selection for book discussion groups.  

Defy The Stars (Defy the Stars #1) ~ By Claudia Gray – 4.5 Stars

04 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 38 Comments

Tags

Adventure, Friendship, Science Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

IMG_0019

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young People for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 4th, 2017

512 Pages

Synopsis: Noemi Vidal is a teen soldier from the planet Genesis, once a colony of Earth that’s now at war for its independence. The humans of Genesis have fought Earth’s robotic “mech” armies for decades with no end in sight.

After a surprise attack, Noemi finds herself stranded in space on an abandoned ship where she meets Abel, the most sophisticated mech prototype ever made. One who should be her enemy. But Abel’s programming forces him to obey Noemi as his commander, which means he has to save Genesis–even though her plan to win the war will kill him.

Together they embark on a daring voyage through the galaxy. Before long, Noemi begins to realize Abel may be more than machine, and for his part, Abel’s devotion to Noemi is no longer just a matter of programming.

I was a big fan of Claudia Gray’s YA paranormal Evernight series and Defy the Stars, which is set in the year 2295, is about as different a departure as you can get, but it is every bit good, if not even better! To be honest, the first few chapters were a little slow for me and I was thinking “Oh God! How am I going to get through over 500 pages of this?” There’s a lot  of sci-fi technology being introduced, and while I think fans of this genre wouldn’t give it a second thought, for someone like me it slowed the pace down a bit. But then I started getting completely falling for the two main characters Abel and Noemi and from then on, I was completely entranced. Noemi at first comes off as prickly, but she winds up being everything you could want in a heroine. She’s courageous, feisty, loyal, and more than willing to sacrifice herself to save her planet. Abel, definitely starts off as more machine than human and in some ways he appeared to me a sort of space age Pinocchio, but it’s soon apparent that there’s much more to him than meets the eye. He not only develops human emotions, but he displays such a witty sense of humor, that there were several instances that he had me laughing out loud. The relationship between these two go from distrustful enemies, to friends, to the beginnings of a lovely romance. The world-building is breathtaking and combines with very real questions of faith and religion, terrorism, the effects of climate change, colonialism, and the ethics of artificial intelligence and robotic. The ending is a perfect set up for the next book, but it left me wishing that the sequel was coming out now! Defy the Stars is a highly original and beautifully told story that definitely lives up to the hype surrounding it. It will take you on a breathtaking journey across the galaxy, where you’ll discover dark conspiracies, sinister and powerful enemies, and unexpected friends and allies. I highly recommend it for both teens and adults who enjoy an exciting science fiction tale filled with characters you can’t help but fall in love with.  

 

Children’s Book Day (not for kids)

03 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 14 Comments

Elaine over at howlinbooks did this, er, howlin’ post yesterday to celebrate International Children’s Book Day!

Elaine Howlin

In honour of Children’s Book Day today (2nd April) I’ve compiled a list of books inspired by children’s books but for adults. These books are sometimes dark but bound to leave a grin on your face.

The first book, Go the F*ck to Sleep is great but the best way to enjoy it is to listen to the audio recording by Samuel L. Jackson. Look for it on youtube I’m sure it’s there.

Enjoy x

Go the F*ck to Sleep

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✯ Go the Fuck to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don’t always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. Profane, affectionate, and radically honest, California Book Award-winning author Adam Mansbach’s verses perfectly capture the familiar — and unspoken — tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night. In the process, he…

View original post 580 more words

International Children’s Book Day

02 Sunday Apr 2017

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 27 Comments

Tags

Inspirational quotes, International Children's Book Day, J.K. Rowling

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It’s books you read when you’re young, that stay with you always.

~ J.K. Rowling ~

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the confessions of a random blogger

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Reviews for children's and adult books.

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Here’s where I’ll gush about my favorite books , shows, and other projects!

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all things bookish!!

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My slice-of-life as child and as parent. Of reading, writing, gardening, and giving back to nature.

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Fantasy and sci-fi reviews by a Malaysian book wyrm

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a book blog

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novels around the world

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The Novel: UnHoly Pursuit: Devil on my Trail

If you love mythology? You'll love this series. The UnHoly Pursuit Saga and related series. Paranormal romance, demons, saints, angels, Azazael, witches, warlords, fiction, fantasy, antichrist, harassment, devils, hell, spirituality!,

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Understanding the psychology that drives our politics

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Because paradise is a library

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Memories of a Senior citizen

fromcavewalls.wordpress.com/

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Tracy the Bookworm

a bookworm detailing all her bookish thoughts

BOOKSTAGGER

Connecting Author to Readers and Readers to Author

theconfessionsofarandomblogger.wordpress.com/

the confessions of a random blogger

Hit or Miss Books

Reviews for children's and adult books.

Amani's Reviews

Here’s where I’ll gush about my favorite books , shows, and other projects!

@onceuponawishlist

all things bookish!!

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My slice-of-life as child and as parent. Of reading, writing, gardening, and giving back to nature.

A Naga of the Nusantara

Fantasy and sci-fi reviews by a Malaysian book wyrm

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As decided by me, your favorite raccoon host

Reader Jones

a book blog

The Traveling Bookworm

novels around the world

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Falling in Love One Book at a Time…

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"Writers Helping Writers" with Marcia Meara & Friends

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