No one creates realms like New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans. As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others. Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow. ~ Goodreads
Review:
*sigh* Another new series that I adored but will have a tough time reviewing because everything I love (& even my nitpicks) could be a spoiler. First I direct you to these two more detailed, non spoilery, reviews by Wendy - The Midnight Garden & KT - A Book Obsession who convinced me not only to read Written in Red but that it was hardcover purchase worthy. It was.
My attempt at a non spoilery review:
Written and Red reminded me so much of Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series. Like Andrews, Bishop has given us incredibly detailed world building and a complex cast of characters that make up her new, The Others, urban fantasy series.
This is definitely urban fantasy but with creatures like shifters, vampires, elementals (that were way cool!), ponies and more, it had an almost magical quality to me. Instead of feeling bombarded by each creature and their characteristics I couldn't learn enough. I loved each and every one of them.
The Others control this world. Humans just live in it because the The Others allow it.
“We are the tenants, not the landlords, a temple priest once said at a weekly gathering. We only borrow the air we breathe and the food we eat and the water we drink” pg. 50
I LOVED how this was portrayed. The various creatures retain their animalistic qualities. They eat human meat. Nothing is sugar coated but they also form bonds and have a fascinating social structure. There is so much I would like to say about this aspect but it = spoilers. Just go read the book lol
Meg, a human, is a protagonist that you are unsure of at first. She comes off as weak but as a blood prophet, owned and mistreated by people who would like to profit from her unique ability to predict future events through the cutting her skin, you realize that her strength comes from just being able to stay alive. This girl is a fighter! I have high hopes for where this character is headed in future installments.
There isn't really any romance to speak of but the bond Meg begins to form with The Others, and particularly with Simon, the wolf pack leader, is so sweet that I didn't even care. Again I sense a big payoff in this regard as the series progresses. And frankly it was nice to read a series that focused on different types of relationships and friendships rather then emphasizing only the romance.
I do have a few nitpicks though. There were several alternating POV's which worked for me except when it was the POV of a human cop named Monty. I just didn't care what he was thinking. I believe his character was used to help explain a lot about The Others and their ways but every time I was taken away from Meg, Simon and company I got bored. It does all tie together and is important to the plot but meh...
Also, there are a few villains. Some have the potential to scare the bejeebus out of me with their evil-ness as they continue to develop but one in particular had me rolling my eyes. The motivations felt weak at best and the character’s actions were cheesy.
Final thoughts: If you're looking for an un-romantic view of the creatures that go bump in the night, AWESOME characters and rich, detailed world building this is the series for you. After I finished Written in Red I felt like I was saying goodbye to family. I felt close to everyone and invested in their outcomes.
It's not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn't look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago. There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there's something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined. Red doesn't like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn't about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods....~ Goodreads
Source: e-arc provided in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley Review: I was sure this was the book for me - a dark YA retelling of Little Red Riding Hood but the writing style was really frustrating for me.
The things I liked:
- It is dark! Henry pulls no punches about what it's like to survive post apocalypse. YA usually holds back a little or softens the edges (especially by adding a romantic interest) and The Girl In Red does not. Survival is probably 20% about the cure (or killing zombies or whatever) and 80% outwitting/avoiding your fellow survivors. Red has a family and she cares about them but it's not all sunshine and roses - they fight, they disagree, they make tough choices.
- Red watches lots of movies and knows all the common traps people fall into and she IS NOT going to be one of them. I think we all have watched enough post apocalypse movies and tv shows at this point that we yell at the TV for how stupid people act. Red vocalizes what we're all thinking. It's funny and it gives her a plausible reason for her survival skills.
- Red is an amputee with a prosthetic leg and I like how it was written as something that doesn't deter her in any way but isn't ignored either. I think a lot of survival stories tend to either completely ignore disabilities thinking (wrongly) the people wouldn't be able to survive or add some suped up ability - like a prosthetic leg or arm that can be turned into a weapon or something like that. I have limited knowledge in this area but it seemed well done.
The not so much:
- Red has a huge chip on her shoulder. HUGE. She thinks she knows everything about everything and isn't afraid to let you know that she thinks she's smarter than everyone. Red does not have to be nice, or even likable - the girl is trying survive - but she's put herself so far above everyone else that it's difficult to to make an emotional connection to her when she does show feelings of loss or grief. The impact just isn't as great.
- As I said Red knows everything! And this is more about the writing than Red as a character - but the author felt the need to explain, in great detail, how she knows these things:
Performs a defensive maneuver - learned that during that one self defense class she took.
Discusses the rules of succession with a soldier (and is sure to school him) - because she took a social studies class once.
Doesn't want to eat candy - discussion ensues about the dangers of artificial sweeteners and chemicals and cancer and how the government once lied about arsenic in wallpaper.
Knowing the right antibiotics to choose at an abandoned store - she had read all the fact sheets that WHO posted on their website - long before the apocalypse.
Again. I'm not talking about Red being smart or wanting to learn things. that's awesome! I'm talking about how the author wrote it - making Red that smart - then needing to explain every bit of knowledge.
Like this for example:
“He looked, Red thought, like a refugee from The Outsiders (which was not a film she would normally watch but her eleventh-grade English teacher had done a Book vs. movie term and that was one of his selections).”
This really made the flow of the book slow waaaay down for me.
The premise is cool - I think the author was more than willing to take this to where it needed to go to show the terror, loneliness, hardships and confusion - with an interesting twist that I won't spoil.
There's no romance, there are severe consequences for dumb behavior and a heroine who is tough and smart. I loved that she was a loner - rather than the typical group dynamic in these kinds of books where there always has to be a group. But the writing just felt bogged down in facts and opinions (inner monologue) on everything from guns to artificial sweeteners. I think this could have all been incorporated more seamlessly to an otherwise cool story.
Even though it didn't really work for me, I would recommend this one to readers who like darker YA, no romance, tough heroines.
I should also point out that this is VERY loose retelling. Her name is Red, she's wearing a red hoodie and on her way to grandmother's house but that's about it. The *wolf* is more mankind in general but with a twist...
For another point of view – check out Lindsi from Do You Dog Ear’s review
Savannah Bondurant, a marriage and relationship columnist for the Savannah Sun Times, just signed her divorce papers. Brody McAlister, the elusive and smoking hot gym boy, has finally recovered from his divorce three years ago. Be it spurred by loneliness or sheer attraction, the two slip into the sheets for a memorable one-night stand. Savannah's pesky ex-husband continues to try and worm his way back into her life, insisting they remain friends, even though he is living with his jealous new girlfriend. An up-and-coming woodworker artist, Brody has every socialite cougar in town promising him success and riches, for a price, of course. With two advice-giving older sisters, one fiercely single and one seemingly happily married, Savannah learns her parents' long and successful relationship does not come without its own secrets. Why should she believe in happily ever after? Her constant overanalyzing and skepticism bodes well in her profession as a journalist, but proves counterproductive in her personal life. Divorce, guilt, suspicion, holding on to the past—can Savannah trust in Brody to help her Let It Go. ~ Goodreads.
********
1st or 3rd Person Narrative - Readers Weigh In...
My latest release - Let It Go - is a feel-good contemporary romance about two divorcees starting over. This book has a 'sweet' steam factor. According to some reviews, the book is "HOT!" Lol. I love those kind of reviews.
Another review that piqued my curiosity was one I found on Goodreads:
"It might have been all the southern charm, but I felt like this had such a Hope Floats & Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood feel to it. It took a while to get into the narration type read of the book, I have been so used to the first person POV that it took a while for the story to flow for me. But once the middle was hit - I was indeed hooked."
This reviewer gave me 4 out of 5 stars. A nice, favorable review. However, the 'first person POV' reference caught me. This mention got me to thinking about the POV I have assigned to all of my other novels, and wondering if first person POV is slowly replacing third person POV as the preferred POV in fiction? I must admit, when I compare my reading library of ten years ago to my current day collection, there are far more books narrated in the first person POV than there ever used to be.
I wrote my first book, The Boots My Mother Gave Me, in first person POV. My reasoning for this was two-fold: One - in my author novice, I didn't consider POV before beginning the book (as I said, it was my first novel) and Two - the book was inspired by a true story (partly mine), therefore it seemed only natural to write the script in first person POV.
My second book thereafter, Vigilare (book #1 in the Vigilare supernatural thriller trilogy), I came to grow particularly attentive to the difference in POV as this book was written in third person POV (with the inclusion of 4 poems written in first person POV). This book and its predecessor, Vigilare: Hell Hound, were both written in a very present third person POV as was needed for the pacing of the supernatual thriller/action/adventure series.
Then, we move onto book number four for me, my first nonfiction endeavor, Get This Body In A Barn: The Milkmaid's Guide To Fitness. This was a no-brainer for first person POV. Although, I did use a bit of second person POV in this one as well where exercises/regimens were detailed (i.e. Make 'your' workout work for 'you').
And, my latest release, Let It Go, where I opted for third person POV. It just felt right to do so, so I did. And I don't feel it would have given the story a better feel per se to have written it in first person POV. Although that greatly appreciated Goodreads review has my wheels turning. Wondering what it is that readers enjoy most: first or third person POV?
For me personally, I enjoy either. Although I would say I am more inclined to gravitate toward third person for straight up fiction and first person when it comes to fiction inspired by a true story or memoirs. It just seems natural to me in those instances.
I'm working on another coming of age/contemporary romance entitled Jolie Blonde and a strictly contemporary romance by the name of Just Not Ready Yet. Both of these will be in third person POV as well. I guess I most like third person POV as it gives me the opportunity as a writer to express multiple POVs within the story. I have heard some readers report that this can be confusing. For example, another Goodreads review of my novel Let It Go cited that it was hard for her to follow because there are quite a few secondary characters and some internal dialogue. Then again, a few reviews down was one citing how much she enjoyed the secondary characters and how their presence added to the overall character development, relatability and plot line.
I'm sure we have to take into account readers' preferences and what they are accustomed to from a POV perspective. It's amazing how our brains get acclimated to certain perspectives without even being cognizant of it. As well as the fact that uber-popular books and series of the times set the pace for readers. For example, E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy was written in first person POV.
Therefore, many readers will consider that the norm and expect such from every other book on the market until something new and equally successful comes along and changes that standard yet again.
I am thinking of a dystopian-type novel, maybe for the beginning of next year. With all of the POV talk, I'm considering making it first person POV. We shall see how that mood hits me.
In the meantime, if you are an author or a reader happening by For What It's Worth, I'd love to hear your two cents about POV. What you enjoy most? And why? Do you notice trends in the book industry changing from one POV to another? Do you think popular books at the time are responsible for this trend? And anything else you'd like to add...
Thank you Karen for hosting me! Readers if you're interested in checking out my latest release Let It Go, here is my Amazon Author Central Link, where you can find all of my other novels as well.
BIO: Brooklyn James is an author/singer/songwriter inspired by life in the Live Music Capital of Austin, Texas. Her first novel, The Boots My Mother Gave Me, has an original music soundtrack and was chosen as a Quarter Finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. This book has ranked in Kindle's Top 100 Coming of Age and Women's Fiction.
Her supernatural thriller trilogy, Vigilare, is an adaptation from a short narrative film, inspired by vigilante movies, such as The Punisher and Boondock Saints. Currently available are Vigilare and Vigilare: Hell Hound. She is avidly working on the last novel in the series, Vigilare: The Torch. Brooklyn's latest release, Get This Body In A Barn: The Milkmaid's Guide To Fitness, is available exclusively as an ebook. Inspired by her childhood growing up on a dairy farm, she offers basic and practical fitness and nutrition regimens in getting in shape.
Coming in March 2013 and June 2013, a contemporary romance,Let It Go as well as the Prequel to the Vigilare trilogy and Stand-Alone contemporary romance, Jolie Blonde, which will have an accompanying original music soundtrack as well. She has been busy in studio at Wonderland Studios, Austin with production of the album. All songs from the soundtracks are written/co-written and performed by the author. Listen free at Brooklyn's website or Facebook Brooklyn's music can be found on Amazon, iTunes, CDBaby, Pandora and JANGO online Radio. Her song Can't Get It Right was chosen for MEOW's (Musicians for Equal Opportunity for Women) 2012 Discoveries Jukebox, naming Brooklyn among the top 15 female singer/songwriters on the rise. Can't Get It Right was also featured on a Video News Release for VO5's Red Hot Rising Stars Campaign in Miami and New York. Jango Radio named her song Moving On to their Top 10 Songs of Summer.
Brooklyn holds an M.A. in Communication, and a B.S. in both Nursing and Animal Science. Her nursing career has seen specialties in the areas of Intensive Care and Labor & Delivery. She performs as part of an acoustic duo in the local live music scene in Austin. Brooklyn also serves as Guest Speaker from time to time with a focus on awareness and prevention of Domestic Violence and Suicide.
Welcome to Saturday Spotlight. A feature hosted by Tina’s Book Reviews as a way of shining the light on Indie/Debut/Self Published authors. Each week I’ll have a guest post written by a featured author.
Welcome author Brooklyn James.
I enjoyed reading Tammara Webber’s guest blog in the Saturday Spotlight. A few parts even made me giggle, as my writing story correlates with her journey of self-publishing. I have written for as long as I can remember…songs, poetry, short stories, screenplays. However, I always thought it too fun to actually be successful. You know, not many of us are fortunate enough to make our vacation our vocation. So, I forged ahead with ‘Plan B.’ In the words of my mother, I “got an education, and a real job with a 401K and an insurance plan.” She couldn’t have been more proud…lol.
I have a few songwriting credits in Nashville, Los Angeles and Austin (my current home). I’m a regular in the live music scene here in town, as part of an acoustic duo. We have a plethora of originals and cover tunes. January 2010 rolled around and I had enough money to allocate to an album of my originals. At the same time, I made a New Year’s resolution to get rid of some excess baggage in providing my own Creative Therapy, by virtue of written expression. Apparently I needed the therapy. At the end of January, I had written a one-hundred-thousand-word manuscript, my first novel, The Boots My Mother Gave Me, a coming of age tale about a young girl who overcomes an abusive childhood.
We were in studio at the time with production of the album. Inspired in the same vein, I started to notice my song titles matched varying chapter titles within the book. It was then I decided I would combine the two, as they were created from a cohesive stream of consciousness. Movies have soundtracks, why not a book? “Brooklyn James' soundtrack to her novel The Boots My Mother Gave Me does more than give a clever feminist twist to the title. Her songs serve as chapters themselves, underlining James' deft ability as a storyteller and songwriter” –Margaret Moser, The Austin Chronicle
I sent my manuscript off to an editor, who believed I had a great story that could be successful. Much like Tammara, I submitted my story to multiple agents and set up agent consultations at a few conferences. The book and album combination threw off many of them. I had a few perked ears, but needless to say, ultimately, no offers.
Being DYI minded as a music artist, I thought, I’ll just do it on my own. The resources are there, why not? I self-published in November 2010 through Amazon’s Create Space. By March 2011, The Boots My Mother Gave Me slid into the Quarter Finalist position in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. That was the moment I thought, Maybe I really can write. The book and album continue to sell online, and in brick & mortar stores. It never ceases to amaze me how readers, and music lovers alike, will take a chance on an independent artist, allowing us to feel as though we are as valid as our mainstream counterparts. I most certainly agree with Tammara; readers are, have always been, and will continue to be the true gatekeepers.
Due to my readership, I have been nonstop, since releasing two more books, book 1 (Vigilare) & 2 (Vigilare: Hell Hound) in the paranormal thriller trilogy, Vigilare. I have two more books in draft stages currently, along with production of a new music soundtrack to accompany those novels, one to be released fall 2012, the other spring 2013. That’s another great thing I love about readers, if they like your writing, they will transcend with you along genres. I have two genres I feel most comfortable writing, women’s fiction (chick lit/coming of age/contemporary romance) and thrillers (scientific and paranormal). With one common thread: there’s always an underlying romance, and at least one steamy scene. I grew up sneaking a peak at my mother’s romance novels, what can I say? Thank you readers for inspiring and encouraging our stories! And thank you Karen for hosting me!
Finding Brooklyn James: Website (www.brooklyn-james.com)
Facebook (www.facebook.com/BrooklynJamesSinger) Blog | Twitter | Amazon Author Central
Add Brooklyn James Music to your Pandora station
Download from iTunes iTunes
NEW RELEASE—Vigilare: Hell Hound, book #2 in Vigilare paranormal thriller trilogy.
A red hue emerges, where once it was only emerald green!
Now accepting of her position, Vigilare is propelled into a twist on Greek Mythology's Cerberus―Hell Hound―a rival Vigilare with fire capabilities. ETNA harbored her blood. Have they created a monster they cannot control? Along with her motley crew, the dashing Detective Tony Gronkowski, wily hematologist Dr. Godfrey and suspicious Emily Truly, Vigilare comes face to face with her past in the form of the hellish one.
As the city of New Orleans and its Gambini mafia family are under siege with Vigilare drones, the power hungry Emily wastes no time in solidifying her place in the ranks when she exposes Vigilare to the menacing Hell Hound. Newcomer, Maxim Kiesel, the steel blue-eyed prodigy graced with icy powers may very well be the antidote, or the ultimate traitor.
Will Vigilare give up her role, sacrificing her immortality to stop Hell Hound? The second in a trilogy, Vigilare: Hell Hound―when power is given, the true testament of one's character will rise.
Vigilare, book #1 in Vigilare paranormal thriller trilogy.
Where one system fails, another never gives up!
Detectives Gina DeLuca and Tony Gronkowski investigate a string of murders among Vanguard's most loathsome population, rapists and pedophiles. With fed up citizens, the city is on the verge of a vigilante uprising in support of their seemingly superhuman Vigilare with the sparkling emerald green eyes. Friend or foe, Vanguard Police Department has a job to do in bringing the vigilant one to justice, causing their own internal battle with right and wrong, immoral and just.
Following their leads, Detectives DeLuca and Gronkowski find themselves pulled into a mysterious world of super blood and super powers, and closer to the Vigilare than ever expected.
It's a race to the finish between Detectives DeLuca and Gronkowski and the Vigilare to figure out who she is and why. The first in a trilogy. Vigilare—the one who watches over—comes to light.
The Boots My Mother Gave Me, book & original music soundtrack.
AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARD QUARTER-FINALIST
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk through life in someone else's shoes?
Strong-willed tomboy Harley LeBeau puts you in the boots her mother gave her, as she takes you along her journey of escape from an abusive childhood and the desire to find herself as she comes of age. Made to feel a burden to her father simply by her gender, Harley is determined to prove her worth and independence, leaving the small town she grew up in and the one boy who gave her a soft place to fall, Jeremiah Johnson. Torn between saving herself and abandoning her mother and younger sister, Harley chooses her own life in hopes they will choose theirs, too.
A mature, candid read for everyone. A must for women. The Boots My Mother Gave Me explores the dynamics of abuse and dysfunction, the courage to overcome, the strength in sisterhood, and the ongoing conflict and unconditional love between mothers and daughters. Climb into Charlene the Chevelle for a fast-paced story about a girl who is tough enough to survive and tender enough to learn to trust in love.
GIVEAWAY!
Brooklyn is giving away one e-copy (via Smashwords) of The Boots My Mother Gave Me & Vigilare to one lucky winner. Leave a comment with a way to contact you if you win - email/twitter handle etc.
After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more. The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murders of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard—Lakeside's shape-shifting leader—wonders whether their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or of a future threat. As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet—and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all. Goodreads | Author | Amazon
Source: Purchased Review: Murder of Crows (The Others, #2), was my most anticipated read for 2014 and I was not disappointed. I am completely enthralled with the world Bishop has created and with The Others.
This isn’t a series where you jump in with the second book. You need to read Book #1, Written in Red first. This is such an amazing series. Dark, magical, complex and with wonderful characters and development. She writes shifters, political strife and relationships in a way that leaves me begging for more. Waiting a year between these books is a form of torture.
I love how Bishop explores the animalistic ways and barely leashed brutality of The Others, instead of humanizing them. Yet, with Meg – their Meg – they soften somewhat and the exchanges between human and Other, as they try to understand and help each other, are beautiful, and sometimes humorous to watch. I was surprised by how much humor – and sweetness was in this story.
That is mostly thanks to the slow (epically slooooow) brewing romance between Meg and Simon. OMG I LOVE them. LOVE. Simon is the alpha and leader of the Courtyard Others, but with Meg, he’s just a bumbling male. These two could not be more adorable. The innocence of their romance is just too much to take. I love watching how they play and cuddle with Simon in his wolf form and how they long for each other when they’re apart. Every one can see what is happening, except them. I love how this is unfolding and the time and care Bishop is putting into it – but if they don’t get together soon I will explode.
Which leads to the one thing that I didn’t love about this book. The multiple POV’s continue and even expand in this book. I will say that every point of view adds to the story but I just don’t care if it’s not Meg, Simon or one of The Others. Monty and Burke (the human policemen) are giving too much page time IMO. I think I’m supposed to be concerned about The Others brand of justice towards the humans who wrong them and have some kind of moral conflict but I pick The Others every time. I get it. The humans are the bad guys to me.
I’m also not a fan of criminal investigation, so that aspect just didn’t work for me, but I do see how it’s necessary to the overall plot line.
I don’t know how many books Anne Bishop has planned for this series. I’m torn between wanting it finished in the next book so Simone and Meg will get their HEA and wanting to stay in this world for years to come. There is still so much of this world and it's inhabitants left to explore.
This series could so easily spiral out of control. There are the incredibly complex interpersonal relationships in the courtyard, the looming war, the prophesies of the cassandra sangue, yet Bishop keeps a tight reign on it all, amping up the tension and drawing you in deeper to her deliciously dark world.
I’m so excited to be a part of the All Four Stars book tour! I ADORED this book and the pint sized cooking whirlwind/budding food critic, Gladys Gatsby. If you’re a fan of eating (that would be me) or cooking (not so much – but I felt inspired after reading this book) - All Four Stars will take you on a mouthwatering tour of foods from around the globe. You can’t help but be swept up in Gladys passion for cooking and giggle at her exploits. I just can't think of enough ways to say how adorable this book is. I would recommend it to foodies of course, but also to anyone, young or old. Having a passion for something you love is a universal feeling and you won't be able to resist falling in love with the determined Gladys Gatsby. I seriously want to adopt that girl! Four stars for All Four Stars!
***
Meet Gladys Gatsby: New York’s toughest restaurant critic. (Just don’t tell anyone that she’s in sixth grade.)
Gladys Gatsby has been cooking gourmet dishes since the age of seven, only her fast-food-loving parents have no idea! Now she’s eleven, and after a crème brûlée accident (just a small fire), Gladys is cut off from the kitchen (and her allowance). She’s devastated but soon finds just the right opportunity to pay her parents back when she’s mistakenly contacted to write a restaurant review for one of the largest newspapers in the world.
But in order to meet her deadline and keep her dream job, Gladys must cook her way into the heart of her sixth-grade archenemy and sneak into New York City—all while keeping her identity a secret! Easy as pie, right?
"Gladdy?" Gladys jumped. Her stomach began to churn queasily, like it did after eating the greasy takeout her parents brought home most nights from Sticky Burger or Fred's Fried Fowl. "Yes?" she said as bravely as she could. Her father knelt down beside the sofa. "Let's start at the beginning," he said. "Can you explain what, exactly, you were doing in the kitchen?" Gladys told the truth. "I was making crème brûlée." "Crumb broo-lay?" Gladys's dad looked up at his wife quizzically, but she just shrugged. "What is crumb broo-lay?" Gladys sighed. If a dish wasn't on the menu at one of the fast-food joints in town, her parents didn't know it existed. "It's a dessert," she explained. "A custard with a crust of burnt sugar on top. Brûlée means burnt in French." "So now we have curtains brûlée, huh?" Gladys's dad laughed at his little joke. But her mom didn't seem to think it was funny as she stepped forward to take over the interrogation. She had white extinguisher powder on her face, and her red lipstick was smeared. The combination made her look like a clown--a scary clown. "Gladys," Clown-Mom said, moving her hands to her hips, "who taught you how to make this crumb...thing?" Gladys took a deep breath. "I taught myself," she said. "I've seen chefs do it on TV, and I found the recipe in one of my cookbooks, so--" "So you thought you'd just drag your father's blowtorch out of the garage and take a crack at it?" "No!" Gladys cried. "I mean, I didn't just...decide to do it and go get the blowtorch. I planned it really carefully. Normally I'm a very good cook." "Normally?" Her mom raised one powder-dusted eyebrow. Uh-oh. Gladys's dad jumped back in. "Gladdy," he said quickly, is this the first time you've been cooking on your own?"
***
Tara Dairman is a novelist, playwright, and survivor of the world’s longest honeymoon (2 years, 74 countries!). Thanks to her travels, parts of her debut middle-grade novel, All Four Stars, were written in a mall in Brazil, a guesthouse in Morocco, and coffeehouses in Argentina, Cameroon, Gabon, and Tanzania. Revisions took place in the slightly less exotic locale of her parents’ basement in New York.
The book, which tells the story of an 11-year-old restaurant critic moonlighting for New York’s biggest newspaper, will be published on July 10, 2014 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin.
Tara’s plays have been produced professionally in New York and Dublin, Ireland, as well as at various universities, and have been shortlisted for prizes such as the Heideman Award (Actors Theater of Louisville), the Jerome Fellowship (The Playwrights’ Center, Minneapolis), and the Princess Grace Award. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Dartmouth College and is represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
With the traveling bug appeased (for now), Tara has finally settled down in Colorado, where she lives with her husband and their trusty waffle iron.
The Others freed the cassandra sangue to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before—both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him. Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict. For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep Goodreads | Source: e-arc provided by Penguin Publishing Group via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review Review:
I hit series burnout a few years ago. Between trilogy overload and disappointing endings, I gave up on the almost 40+ series that I was reading at that time .
The Others by Anne Bishop is one of only two series that I’m committed to. (the other - The Winner’s Trilogy – by Marie Rutkoski)
Bishop keeps pushing the limits of world building, interpersonal relationships and tension between the humans and the Others as they try to hold together their fragile allegiance. She has created one of the most fascinating Urban Fantasies out there right now.
Despite all the five star reviews on Goodreads for Vision in Silver, I have to admit it wasn’t my favorite of the series so far. While things are barreling towards a tipping point – not much really happens and Simon seemed to be in an endless stream of meetings for most of the book.
Secrets are revealed, alliances are shifted, pawns are positioned into place but it all felt like build up for the next book and I was *gasp* bored at times.
Having said that – I could read several more books with just Simon in meetings or Meg handing out dog biscuits to the pups for 300 pages because I love being in this world so much. While I did feel like things dragged at times – when they were good – they were VERY good.
Meg and Simon are one of the best slow burning romances I’ve ever read. Is it frustrating at times? Hell yeah! But it works. Meg’s trauma and lack of experience combined with Simon’s reservations about humans (not to mention Meg’s pesky blood prophet issue) need to be resolved in due time. Not a moment sooner or it wouldn’t ring true.
BTW – I’m the only person I know that has given a less than a 5 star opinion of this book so ignore my minor criticisms ( I would give it a 3.5 or a 4 star rating) and go read this series! It really is fantastic.
Welcome to Saturday Spotlight. A feature hosted by Tina’s Book Reviews as a way of shining the light on Indie/Debut/Self Published authors. Each week I’ll have a guest post written by a featured author.
I’m welcoming back author and singer Brooklyn James to talk about the soundtrack she created for her novel The Boots My Mother Gave Me. She’s giving us a peek at the chapter “Can’t Get It Right” along with her video that parallels the story. Check it out and enter the giveaway at the end of this post!
"Brooklyn James' soundtrack to her novel The Boots My Mother Gave Me does more than give a clever feminist twist to the title. Her songs serve as chapters themselves, underlining James' deft ability as a storyteller and songwriter." -Margaret Moser, The Austin Chronicle
Listen to more clips from The Boots My Mother Gave Me soundtrack here.
AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARD QUARTER-FINALIST
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk through life in someone else's shoes? Strong-willed tomboy Harley LeBeau puts you in the boots her mother gave her, as she takes you along her journey of escape from an abusive childhood and the desire to find herself as she comes of age. Made to feel a burden to her father simply by her gender, Harley is determined to prove her worth and independence, leaving the small town she grew up in and the one boy who gave her a soft place to fall, Jeremiah Johnson. Torn between saving herself and abandoning her mother and younger sister, Harley chooses her own life in hopes they will choose theirs, too.
A mature, candid read for everyone. A must for women. The Boots My Mother Gave Me explores the dynamics of abuse and dysfunction, the courage to overcome, the strength in sisterhood, and the ongoing conflict and unconditional love between mothers and daughters. Climb into Charlene the Chevelle for a fast-paced story about a girl who is tough enough to survive and tender enough to learn to trust in love. ~ Goodreads | Amazon buy link
Read an excerpt from the novel, Chapter: Can't Get It Right. In this chapter, newly engaged Harley LeBeua has returned to her small hometown to help her childhood friend, Jeremiah 'Miah' Johnson get back on his feet after an injury suffered as a Marine in the military, shortly after 9/11.
Can't Get It Right
I snagged a place in the rocking chair beside the window, wrapping myself
in a blanket, settling in with a book. I looked around the room, much the
same as I remembered it years ago, minus the football trophies and pinup
posters. Well, he still had his most favorite poster, framed and hung over
his dresser, it’s dwelling since his childhood. It was the classic Farrah
Fawcett red swimsuit poster, and stunning she was, simply beautiful.
I looked out the window at my parents’ house, a speck from this distance,
my eye catching the fire escape ladder leading to Jeremiah’s room.
Mr. Johnson installed it long ago, seeing as Jeremiah slept upstairs. I think
I used it more than anyone, though. My mind busied itself with memories
of nights I sneaked in here after my dad’s rampages just to feel safe.
The first time I used the ladder was the night I found Mom hiding in
the silage wagon.
**********(beginning of flashback sequence)**********
She had put Kat and me down for bed. I was seven years old, Kat four.
It was a school night for me. Kat fell quickly asleep, but I lay there, eyes
wide open, staring at the ceiling, heart pounding as my father’s enraged
voice carried through the house for what seemed like hours, until I heard
the front door close. The house fell silent.
I got out of the bed Kat and I shared, stealthily attempting not to
wake her. I escaped the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind me, as
I ventured out into the living room to investigate.
The house was dark, except for the pole light shining through the
window by the wood stove. Something lurked behind it. I walked in its
direction, focusing my eyes, halting in my tracks at the sight of my father,
lying there behind the stove with a long rifle clasped to his chest. He said
nothing, perfectly silent and motionless. He just stared at me.Holy crap! My heart jumped up into my throat. I made a beeline for
the front door, shutting myself outside in the dark. I wasn’t a big fan of
the dark back then, fearing the illusive boogey man. But I would much
rather be outside with the boogey man than in my own house with my
father. Ironic, huh? The one person, who was supposed to make me feel
safe and secure, scared the ever-loving daylights out of me. I slipped on
my barn boots from the front porch and took off in search of Mom.
“Mom,” I whispered, inspecting the darkness. “Ma? Are you out
here?” My light hair, long and curly, whirled about in the wind. I kept
pushing it out of my face, hugging my arms to my body, attempting to
shield myself from the cool night air. My favorite pink cotton nightgown
blew in the breeze, nearly exposing my Incredible Hulk Underoos.
I heard an echo from inside the silage wagon, a big, square metal
box on wheels, which caught corn as the combine chopped and spit it
through the air. What was she doing in the silage wagon? That was for corn,
not people, my seven-year-old mind reasoned. I climbed up on the tongue
of the wagon, attempting to peek over the top, but I was too short.
“Mom?”
“Harley, go back inside,” she ordered softly. I could tell she had been
crying, her voice shaky.
“Are you okay?” I placed my hands around my mouth, as I talked into
the side of the wagon.
“I’m fine. Get back inside and go to bed. You’ve got school in the
morning.”
“Are you cold?”
“No, Harley, I’m fine. I’ll be over in a bit. Go to bed,” her tone becoming
harder.
I ran to the house as fast as my black rubber boots would carry me,
returning with a blanket. “Mom, I got you a blanket. Here it comes,” I
warned, throwing it over the side of the wagon. “I’m going to bed now.
Night, Ma. I love you.” I ran away so she wouldn’t have to worry with
scolding me again.
“I love you, too,” I heard her call after me.
I didn’t stop running until I got to Jeremiah’s house, about a half-mile
down the road. I saw the lamp glowing in his bedroom window. Climbing
up the fire escape, one nervous step at a time, I thought I would blow
right off that ladder into thin air, the wind whipping me.
Making it to the top, I peeped in and there he lay in bed, tossing his
football up in the air, catching it as it dropped. I knocked on the glass
lightly, trying to avoid alerting his dad. His attention diverted to the
window in mid-catch, his football landed on his stomach.
Seeing my reflection there in the glass, he hurried to the window,
sliding it open, offering me a hand, as he helped me through the square
opening. My breathing labored, having run all the way to his house, the
heels of my feet burning from the contact of their soft flesh against the
rubber of my boots, surely I would find blisters in the morning.
“What in the world are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m scared, Miah.” I hugged him to me.
“Why? What scared you?” He reluctantly hugged me back, thoroughly
convinced he could contract cooties if he got too close to a girl,
let alone hugged one.
“I’m just really scared and I don’t want to go home. Don’t make me
go home,” I pleaded, clutching his shoulders. He pulled away from me,
holding his finger up to his mouth, and walked toward his bedroom door.
“Dad, I’m going to bed now,” he yelled. “See you in the morning.”
“Okay, son,” Mr. Johnson reciprocated from downstairs. “Love ya,
kid. Sweet dreams.”
“You too, Dad.” He closed his bedroom door, locking it behind
him. I shivered from the cold. He closed the window, pulling the covers
back from where he had rested. “Should be all nice and toasty,” he said,
motioning for me to take his bed. “I’ll sleep in the rocking chair.”“Thanks, Miah,” I whispered as I snuggled in, finally feeling safe and
warm. He tucked the covers around me, switched the bedside lamp
off, and pulled a blanket from the foot of his bed, wrapping himself in
it, sinking into the rocking chair. The moon, full and bright, cascaded
through the window, providing a natural nightlight. He propped his feet
up on the side of the bed, finding a comfortable position in the chair, and
there we were, Jeremiah Johnson and me.
**********(end of flashback sequence)**********
“Remember when you used to climb up that thing at all hours of the
night?” his voice interrupted my memory. I looked from the ladder to
him lying there, his eyes open, studying me. I wondered how long he had
been awake. “Must feel awkward, you in the rocker and me in the bed.”
“A little. You hungry?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Embarrassed, maybe…not hungry. I’m sorry
about the other day.”
“Me too.” Our exchange followed by silence.
“Is he good to you?” I nodded my head, looking away. I didn’t know
how to approach talking about Xander with him. “Are you happy?”
“Yeah,” I answered softly, making eye contact with him.
He took a deep breath, wincing a little with his inhale. “Well, that’s all
I need to know, then.” We sat quietly, his mouth forming into a playful
smile. “Aren’t you going to ask me to be your male of honor…at the
wedding?” I broke up laughing. He braced his pillow to his chest, attempting
to hold his ribs in place while he joined me. It felt good to laugh with
him. We were going to be okay.
“So, what happened over there?” I asked, divvying up his morning
medications.
“EOD.” I looked at him puzzled. “Explosive Ordinance Disposal.
We were covering for them, guys who deactivate explosives, bombs. It
didn’t feel right, the whole situation. We started to clear out, and then,
boom. That was the last thing I heard before my body was airborne.
Don’t remember a thing from then on, until that day I saw you in the
hospital.”
“All the sedation can cause some amnesia, which might be a good
thing,” I said, handing him a cup full of pills."I do remember waking up on and off with a bunch of chords and
wires, stuff all over me, something shoved in my throat. Now, that was
unsettling.” He took the pills, washing them down with water. “I’ve had
two tours, one in Afghanistan, one in Iraq, and I’ve never felt as helpless
or scared as I did in the hospital. Why do they do that to people?”
“To save your life.”
“Good God. Can’t they find some other way? All the technology we
have. I’m telling ya, that was a horrible experience, Harley-girl. And
those damn things they had me tied down with.”
“Well, that’s because you wouldn’t quit fighting. They can’t have
you wrestling about and pulling all the things from your body that are
required for you to live,” I explained, tidying up his room. “And that tube
down your throat was a breathing tube, filling your lungs with air, keeping
you among the living.”
“Kat said you’re a nurse in the city. You like it?”
“It’s okay.”
“You still writing?
“Not so much these days. I’m trying to heed my mother’s advice and
get a real life.”
He grinned. “How’s that working out for ya?”
“Aw, I hate it, Miah,” I blurted out, surprising myself with the truth,
taken aback as my feelings revealed themselves. “It felt good to say that!”
“Say it again.”
“I hate it. I really, really hate it. That’s such a strong word. Okay, I dislike
it. Yeah, I feel better about that one, dislike. It’s so…stifling, heavy,
constrictive,” I searched for words of emphasis. Jeremiah looked out the
window deliberately, his eyes searching. “What are you doing?”
“I’m looking for flying pigs. Did hell freeze over and I’m the last to
hear?” he ragged. “I never thought I’d see the day Harley LeBeau took
advice from anyone on how to live her life.” I ducked my head shamefully.
Really, it was a sad thing. How did I end up here? Doing the right
thing, the responsible thing, what’s expected of me? It wasn’t a bad life,
just not the life I planned for myself.
“People change. They evolve,” I said, smiling.
“Sounds like you’ve expired,” he joked. I swatted him playfully on my
way to gather shaving supplies from the bathroom, returning with them.
His smile dissipated. “I knew this girl once. The quickest way to get herto do anything, tell her she couldn’t, she shouldn’t. She would, just to
prove you wrong.”
“Maybe I’m tired of proving myself.” I sat beside him on the bed, putting
a bowl of hot water, shaving cream, and a razor on the bedside stand.
I pushed the button on the bedrail, sitting him upright.
“You can’t please everybody, Harley. It’s not your responsibility to
make your mom happy. You can’t live your life for her.”
“I do want to make Mom happy. I always have. That’s why I tried
so hard, pushed myself in school, academically, athletically, everything.
She had enough disappointment at home, she didn’t need any trouble
from me,” I said. “But I make my own choices. Nobody twists my
arm.” I dipped a washcloth into the water. “Lay your head back,” I
requested, a familiar scenario. I became highly skilled in grooming him
at the hospital.
“You don’t have to do this. Now that I can sit up, all I need is a mirror,”
he said.
“Oh, so you don’t like my shave?”
“I didn’t say that. What man doesn’t like being catered to?”
“Well, then lay your head back.” He did as I instructed. “I kind of
like it. Maybe I’ll become a barber, for a while.” He smiled, shaking his
head. “I even picked up a barber brush yesterday at Calvin’s. You remember,
down on Main, catty-corner to Benny’s, Calvin’s Barber Shop. ‘Hair
Today, Gone Tomorrow,’” I quoted the slogan that had been painted on
his window for years.
“Dad and I used to go there once a month to get our ears lowered.” He
grew silent with the memory. I held the moist towel to his face, allowing
it to soften his stubble before removing it, applying the shaving cream
with the brush as Calvin had instructed, softly, thoroughly. “That feels
good,” he said.
“I miss your dad. I wish he could be here, to see what you’ve done
with your life. He’d be so proud.”
“Ya think?”
“No doubt.” I worked the grain of his hair with my razor.
“Yeah, he would, wouldn’t he? He always had a way of making me feel
larger than life.” I tenderly scolded him to hold his lip still as I shaved
above it. He waited until I finished before continuing, “He’d get a kick
out of this, tomboy Harley delicately shaving my face.”
“I can get rid of the delicately,” I teased, coaxing his head toward me
with my hands. “Here, let me have the other side.” I felt his eyes on me,
watching me as I attempted to manipulate the razor skillfully, with just
enough, but not too much pressure against his skin. “When are the guys
coming out from your recon unit?”
“It’ll be a little while. They’re still on assignment,” he spoke tightlipped,
as I continued to shave him, my eyes focused on his jaw line,
freeing it of stubble. It was square, rugged, and exquisitely handsome. I
loved shaving his face. It was intimate, really. Maybe there’s something
to be said about the natural instincts of animals to groom each other. It’s
truly bonding.
“What?” I asked, unable to ignore his eyes taking me in, as I moved
down to his neck, shaving it up toward his face with the grain.
“You still do that…with your lip, bite the inside of it when you concentrate.”
I annihilated one last stretch of stubble, wiping at the residual shaving
cream. Filling my hands with aftershave, I lightly tapped his face and
neck with the soothing concoction, my hands resting a little too long on
his face at times. I had to remind myself to pull them away.
“I missed you,” he said softly, as if the sentiment escaped his lips
without his knowing. “Sorry.” He turned his head from me, clearing his
throat. “So, why am I upstairs?” He changed the subject immediately,
looking around the room. “I mean, I’m not a nurse or anything, but even
I know the guy who can barely walk might not perform his best on a
flight of stairs.”
“There’s a method to my madness,” I assured, cleaning up the shaving
supplies. “Studies say people recover better in their natural habitat.”
“Sure,” he said, making fun, “because I didn’t live in the whole house.
I lived in my bedroom.”
“There’s a bit more to it than that.” I giggled, swatting him on the leg
with the washcloth, as I walked to the bathroom to rinse out the shaving
basin. “It’s about the feng shui, your room is perfect, it has great direction
and natural sunlight pushing through the window every morning, and it
has good energy, perfect to promote healing.” I returned to his bedside,
fluffing the pillow behind him. “Also, it’s about identification. This was
your room when you were a sweaty, hormonal, adolescent jock, strong,
indestructible, and driven. So it’s the perfect place for you to identify those feelings and use them in your recovery. You’ll need that part ofyourself when we start rehab in two weeks.”
“Two weeks? I can’t lay in this bed two more weeks.”
“You have no choice, sweet cheeks.” I chuckled at the moniker to
which he grinned, rolling his eyes. “Strict orders, no pressure on the
lower back for at least a month, two weeks in the hospital, two weeks at
home. Enjoy it while it lasts. Think of yourself as man’s best friend, your
primary tasks, eat, sleep, sit, and lie down. We’ll work on sick’em and
fetch when you get on your feet.” I smiled, pushing the button on his
bed, causing him to lie back. He grimaced slightly with the movement,
finally settling into a comfortable space.
“I think you missed your calling, Harley-girl. You would have made a
good drill sergeant, as many orders as you’re throwing around.”
I ignored his rebuttal. “What will it be this morning, a book, a movie,
video game, peace and quiet…what’s your poison?” I inquired how he
wanted to pass the time.
“How about some music? You have any songs I haven’t heard?”
“I haven’t played in a while, and my guitar is at Gram’s,” I quickly
dismissed.
“My old Fender is in the closet, amp and everything.”
“No way!” I helped myself to the contents of the closet. “I remember
when you guys…you, Terry, Zac and Danny…were going to start a
band.”
“Yep, we wanted to be musicians because musicians got the girls.”
“Like you needed any help with the girls,” I added, tuning the guitar.
“I do have this one I was thinking about last night.”
“Let’s hear it,” he said.
Even though I hadn’t played in a long time, I went with the riding a
bike adage, hoping my fingers would remember the chords. They did,
unsure at first, settling into the rhythm, playing my newest theme song.
Jeremiah listened intently, as I sang along:
Can’t get it right, I’m always wrong. Think I know what I like, Then I want it gone. Don’t wanna be rich, Don’t wanna be poor. Don’t wanna be a bitch, Or a nice girl anymore. Complicated, Aggravated, Being me gets me so frustrated. Wanna give you everything you’re missing in your life, I just can’t get it right.
Brooklyn James: Website | Amazon | Facebook | Pandora | iTunes | Twitter Giveaway!
Brooklyn is giving away a copy of The Boots My Mother Gave Me. Just leave a comment!
Karen has been trying…no, begging …me to read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. I had to finally relent if not for her sanity but mine, but then she became worried that - as she said “I think I might have oversold it”. She didn’t.
I’m not going to bother writing a regular review. I’m assuming I’m the last person on the planet to read this series and that you already know what happened (if you haven’t read them….shame on you. I know, who am I to talk ..*hangs head in shame*). Instead I’ll just give my overall view of the books so far and what I think it all means. DO NOT read ahead if you don’t want spoilers!
This story is about love, uncertainty, deception and hope.
I don’t think I have ever read a story this well put together in a long time, particularly in YA. The symbolism, foreshadowing, imagery and, of course, the plot is just brilliant. Every character is developed in such a way that you can’t help but be pulled into this world.
The thing that really stands out in my mind though is the aforementioned symbolism and foreshadowing. I’m a bit of a nerd and get quite obsessive when I like something and I ended up filling both books with post-it’s and writing pages of notes. Karen seemed pleased by this development!
Here are a few things that really stood out in my mind that I believe will have something to do with the conclusion of this series. What they mean, if anything, I don’t know – only reading Mockingjay will tell, but I DO think it all means something…….Please excuse the random nature of these thoughts. It’s just what stood out in my brain as I was reading. So many themes are repeated at pivotal points throughout the series.
Commence randomness........
*One of the recurring symbols is that of bread. Katniss makes a point of this on pg 32, of The Hunger Games when Peeta brings her a loaf of bread at a time when she was about to give up. She says that bread brought her hope. Peeta is the source of hope, the baker’s son. Another instance of ‘bread’ giving hope is in the cabin by the lake when Katniss gives Bonnie and Twill rolls. The bread theme keeps cropping up throughout the books whenever things seem at their bleakest.
*Another recurring symbol are flowers, in particular dandelions. Again with Peeta, after she catches him looking at her in the schoolyard – she drops her gaze and sees the first dandelion of the season and knows now how she will survive. She also sees dandelions again after she throws out the cookies that Peeta’s father had given her. Other references include the flowers she places on Rue, the book of plants and flowers that she & Peeta work on, a mention of Peeta’s child playing in a field of flowers. Most of the characters were named after flowers/plants.
*Rue’s death was a turning point for Katniss; she sees the death of Rue as the death of innocence. It was then she realized that just surviving the game was not enough. She had to make a difference just as Peeta told her before the games. Katniss sings the song she would sing to Prim when she was sick. Just as the time she sang in school and Peeta fell in love with her, the birds went quiet. After Katniss finished her lullaby, the Mockigjays, took up the song. This is when she realizes that this wasn’t just a game.
“Then I remember Peeta’s words on the roof. “Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games.” And for the first time, I understand what he means.”
*As for Peeta you can think of him as just a boy trying to win the affection of Katniss, but in my opinion he is so much more. Yes Katniss is the main character and is the symbol of the rebellion but I think everyone is overlooking the importance of Peeta, not just to Katniss but to the rebellion itself. Yes you can be team Peeta or Gale but what I’m talking about here is more than a simple love triangle. This series is a story of rebirth and redemption. Peeta is not the strongest person physically in the games but when he speaks, people listen and he knows how to lie & manipulate the crowds. Whether he even realizes it or not, Peeta’s words are causing a simmering nation to be reborn. Katniss has become the face for this rebirth, but without his actions and words (painting the picture of Rue’s body covered in flowers in front of the Gamekeepers, gave up a portion of his rations to District 11 after Rue’s death, and his kindness to the morhpling as she was dying….. ) none of this would have happened. If Katniss is the fire then Peeta is the spark that transforms her into the Mockinjay. Even Haymitch says that you don't have to worry about Peeta - he knows what has to be done.
*Then there is the ultimate symbol; The Mockingjay. I can’t help but compare it to the rise of the phoenix. Not that from the ashes rises the phoenix; could this be Katniss rising from the ashes (coal) of District 12?
*I also wanted to mention how much I love the book covers and how the color goes from black (darkness, coal, desperation), to red (fire, birth, anger) and finally blue (hope, blue sky). The Mockingjay on the cover goes from first being a symbol, to coming to life and finally to freedom.
There is so much foreshadowing in the first two books that I can’t even begin to get into that without making this post a mile long. A few things I would keep my eye on are Madge, Cinna, pregnancy (could be either with Gale or Peeta - both are mentioned in this context), the pearl, Peeta’s father, Katniss’s song.
Yes, yes…..but what team are you on??
Now on to the love story. Both Gale and Peeta are perfect choices for Katniss but for different reasons. I’m team Peeta but to tell you the truth I don’t think Katniss deserves him, at least, not yet. Peeta has always loved Katniss and would do ANYTHING for her. At one point, and I think this is THE moment that convinced me that Peeta is the one is when he is trying to convince Katniss that she should win the Quell because she has people that need her. He shows her pictures of her mother, Prim and even Gale - his main competitor for her love. This is the point when you realize the depth of his feelings for her because he throws away all selfishness and just wants Katniss to live and be happy. Thankfully Katniss rebuffs his proposal in one of most poignant scenes in the book.
“Peeta pulls the chain with the gold disk from around his neck. He holds it in the moonlight so I can clearly see the mockingjay. Then his thumb slides along the catch I didn’t notice before and the disk pops ope. It’s not solid, as I had thought, but a locket. And within the locket are photos. On the right side, my mother and Prim, laughing. And on the left, Gale. Actually smiling.
There is nothing in the world that could break me faster at this moment than these three faces. After what I heard this afternoon…it is the perfect weapon.
“Your family needs you. Katniss” Peeta says.
My family. My mother. My sister. And my pretend cousin Gale. But Peeta’s intention is clear. That Gale really is family, or will be one day, if I live. That I’ll marry him. So Peeta’s giving me his life and Gale at the same time. To let me know I shouldn’t ever have doubts about it. Everything. That’s what Peeta wants me to take from him.
I wait for him to mention the baby, to play to the cameras, but he doesn’t. And that’s how I know that none of this is part of the game.
“No one really needs me,” he says, and there is no self-pity in his voice. It’s true his family doesn’t need him. They will mourn him, as will a handful of friends. But they will get on. Even Haymitch, with the help of a lot of white liquor, will get on. I realize only one person will be damaged beyond repair if Peeta dies. Me.
“I do,” I say. “I need you.”…………………”
That my friends, is true love. Sacrifice. Go to page 352 of Catching Fire to read how this is sealed with a kiss.
What is great about this series is that no matter what any of us think we have read or how we have interpreted things, it is written in a way that really – it could go anywhere. She could take the bleak route and end it in tragedy or give us all a happy ending. (I’m guessing it falls somewhere in between).
This leads to my one criticism of the series, especially in Catching Fire. Collins has created 3 dimensional characters that are so well developed that you can’t help but root for everyone but the one chink to me is Katniss. I realize she’s been through a lot and her distrust runs deep – with good reason but her constant questioning and over analyzing of almost every situation grated on me in the end. She feels conflicting emotions about almost every single thing that happens to her and is completely contradictory from just one page to the next. Her gut instinct and first impressions are almost always wrong (as Haymitch understands and points out frequently). She’s a fantastic female character and role model but I don’t think she would ever make it in the world without the Cinna’s, Peeta’s, Gale’s, Haymitch’s…… of the world to help her.
It’s my greatest hope that all the layers mean something. That I wasn’t sent on a wild goose chase of clues.
So what do you think? Am I reading too much into every detail? Did this post even make sense? Please share your thoughts.
Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases that we're looking forward to.
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The pretty covers just keep popping up. I’m not one to fall for covers but these have really caught my eye and are either part of series I already read or by authors I love.
All of the following books are 2014 releases but that just gives more me time to clear my shelves out. HA! Yeah right!!!! Blogger delusions.
Murder of Crows is the sequel to the excellent adult urban fantasy series, Written in Red, a series that shows the genre still has plenty to offer when it comes to originality and quality.
The release date is still a long ways away but look how pretty that cover is!
The newest installment in J.R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Wrath and the Brotherhood are locked in an epic battle over his throne and the very future of the vampire race.
To be honest I’m kind of over the whole BDB series but then I saw this cover. I really like it and it seems so ominous. Now I’m curious again since this book returns to Wrath's story. Damn you J.R.!
This Side of Salvation by Jeri Smith-Ready Add to Goodreads Expected release date: April 1st, 2014 Pre-order: This Side of Salvation
Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier, more he feels.
Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties in to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.
But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined.
I was so lucky to have been able to read an early version of this book. It’s a beautiful, poignant, uplifting story that makes you think about love, life and loss in a whole new way. You will fall in love with the protagonist, David. And that cover! Eep – it fits the story SO perfectly.
Have any of you already started looking into the 2014 releases? Are there any books that you’re waiting for next year? A good blogger must plan (waaay) ahead.
Welcome to the random ramblings of a reader, armature baker, & inflexible yogi. I'm a lover of good food, TV, music & all things nature. My favorite thing is being a dog mom to @Ripley_kai_yay
No one creates realms like New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans.
