Author Archives: By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff

The Mirror: Broken Wish (The Mirror #1), by Julie C. Dao ~ 5.0 Stars

21 Monday Sep 2020

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

A2EE5987-11AC-4953-9A46-0B1032CF9BE6

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 6th, 2020

320 Pages

Synopsis: 1865 Hanau Germany 

Sixteen-year-old Elva has a secret. She has visions and strange powers that  she will do anything to hide. She knows the warnings about what happens to witches in their small village of Hanau. She’s heard the terrible things people say about the Witch of the North Woods, and the malicious hunts that follow. But when Elva accidentally witnesses a devastating vision of the future, she decides she has to do everything she can to prevent it. Tapping into her powers for the first time, Elva discovers a magical mirror and its owner—none other than the Witch of the North Woods herself. As Elva learns more about her burgeoning magic, and the lines between hero and villain start to blur, she must find a way to right past wrongs before it’s too late.

Broken Wish is the first book in the upcoming The Mirror series which in itself is an exciting premise. Four books following a multigenerational family by some of the most popular YA authors today: Julie C. Dao, Dhonielle Clayton, J.C. Cervantes, and L.L. McKinney. I started this last night around 8:00 p.m. and finished it three hours later. It’s a highly entertaining fairytale retelling of Snow White with a little of The Red Shoes thrown in, and it perfectly captures Germany in the latter half of the 19th century. Dao is a wonderful storyteller who is known for her richly detailed world building and complex characters, and that’s very much on display here. But included in this beautifully written fantasy is the thoughtful exploration of the difficulty of being unique in a world where differences are often met with ignorance and cruelty. It’s a tale of friendship, loyalty, and the ramifications of broken promises, that all lead up to a shocking ending. I cannot recommend Broken Wishes highly enough. It’s an exciting and original YA fantasy whose storyline will enthrall you and characters will capture your heart. The series continues with Dhonielle Clayton’s Shattered Midnight (July 2021), which jumps to 1920s New Orleans, and sounds from the title to perhaps be a retelling of Cinderella. I’m going to be impatiently counting down the months.

 

R.I.P. Ruth Bader Ginsburg ~ March 15, 1933 – September 18, 2020

18 Friday Sep 2020

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 55 Comments

Tags

If there needs to be further proof that 2020 is the never-ending year from Hell, Supreme Court Justice and legal pioneer/icon, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died. I’m pretty much at a loss for words here. A tireless advocate for gender equality, the Notorious R.B.G. may have been tiny in stature, but she took on an almost superhuman persona. She has been a personal hero of mine for much of my adult life and this loss is simply devastating. I’m sorry, I can’t write anymore right now. I’m going to share one of my favorite quotes from her:

Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.

Eventide, By Sarah Goodman ~ 4.5 Stars

18 Friday Sep 2020

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

, , ,

12E9E342-20C5-4700-A444-C3701696EFA8

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

Release Date: October 6th, 2020

336 Pages

Synopsis: MADNESS, SECRETS, AND LIES

Wheeler, Arkansas, 1907

When their father descends into madness after the death of their mother, Verity Pruitt and her little sister Lilah find themselves on an orphan train to rural Arkansas.

In Wheeler, eleven-year-old Lilah is quickly adopted but seventeen-year-old Verity is not. Desperate to stay close to her sister, Verity indentures herself as a farmhand. But even charming farm boy Abel Atchley can’t completely distract her from the sense that something is not quite right in this little town. Strange local superstitions abound, especially about the eerie old well at the center of the forest. The woods play tricks, unleashing heavy fog and bone-chilling cold…and sometimes visions of things that aren’t there.

But for Verity, perhaps the most unsettling revelation of all is that her parents have a scandalous history in this very town. And as she tries to unearth the past, sinister secrets come with it—secrets that someone will go to violent lengths to protect…

A haunting tale of long-buried secrets, small-town scandal, and single-minded vengeance by talented debut novelist Sarah Goodman.

Eventide is the debut novel by Sarah Cooper, and while its slow burning suspense might not be for everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed the eerie Southern gothic theme, as well as the fascinating characters and intriguing mystery. I have to be honest and say that Verity annoyed me at first with her rather know-it-all attitude, but there’s so much more behind that initial obnoxiousness. Likewise, there’s similar complexity with all the characters, even the villain who winds up deserving of a small amount of sympathy. The mystery and how everything ultimately comes together, kept me turning the pages even though there were some slow spots. There are some reviewers who have criticized that there weren’t enough fantasy/supernatural elements until the near the end, but I actually liked how they were tantalizingly kept under the surface. Overall, Eventide is an excellent YA debut by Cooper and I unhesitatingly recommend it. I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes out with next.

Constitution Day

17 Thursday Sep 2020

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 20 Comments

Given the multiple dangers the Constitution is facing, chuq’s post is especially timely.

In Saner Thought

Closing Thought–17Sep20

It is 17 September and the day set aside as Constitution Day……if ever there should be a federal holiday to celebrate our independence it should be 17 September….for it is when the United States stepped out of confusion and presented the republic to the nation.

Of course that is just my opinion….but since it is Constitution Day I would like to write about the document that is so cherished by us Americans.

First the day we are celebrating…..

Constitution Day is observed every year on September 17 to commemorate the signing and adoption of the constitution of the United States of America by the Founding Fathers in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787.

Constitution Day is also known as Citizenship Day, which was the name of the holiday until 2004, as its purpose was to “recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens”. Citizenship…

View original post 109 more words