Elsewhere Online: August 2013

As you know from my Stacking the Shelves posts, I review for two other websites (bookloons.com and bittenbybooks.com). As I cannot post my reviews there and here, but I would still like to count the books I read for the challenges, I am going to have a post like this at the end of the every month listing the books I reviewed and what challenges the went towards.

Title: Battalion
Author: Adam Hamdy

Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Title: Fairy Tales from The Brothers Grimm

Author: Philip Pullman

Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Reading Challenges Update: August 2013

Here is where I stand with the challenges I have joined after the month of August (only challenges that I read books for this month are featured here):

Audio Book (7/12)
7.  Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

100 Books in a Year (79/100)
73. Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
74. The Sound and the Echoes by Dew Pellucid
75. A Week with Fiona Wonder by Kelly Huddleston
76. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
77. Knight of the Dead by Jennifer Rae Gravely
78. Battalion by Adam Hamdy
79. Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullman

YA Contemporary (6/10)
6. A Week with Fiona Wonder by Kelly Huddleston

YA Mythology (3/10)
3. Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Standalone (4/15)
4. A Week with Fiona Wonder by Kelly Huddleston

YA/MG Fantasy (9/10)
8. Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
9. The Sound and the Echoes by Dew Pellucid

Self-Published (6/10)
6. The Sound and the Echo by Dew Pellucid

Knight of the Dead

Title: Knight of the Dead
Author:  Jennifer Rae Gravely

Publisher: Astraea
ISBN: 978-1-62135-062-0

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: As this was the type of romance where the two main characters fall for each other rather quickly, I was happy that Gravely included a lot of obstacles; however, the final obstacle was rather unbelievable and did not really fit with the rest of the story.  Aside from this, the story was cute and a fun read.

Rating: 3 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 8/18-8/24

For possible review (on Bookloons):

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Stacking the Shelves: 8/11-8/17

For possible review (on Bookloons):

Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz & Michael Johnston

Gated by Amy Christine Parker

LibraryThing Early Review:

Dragonbait by David McLain

Requested from Paperbackswap:

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Walk Two Moons

Title: Walk Two Moons
Author:  Sharon Creech

Publisher: Open
ISBN: 978-0615722825

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Walk Two Moons has such a timeless quality to it.  It is very much a middle reader classic despite being not that old.  And the way Creech told it is very unique and inviting.

Rating: 4 stars

A Week with Fiona Wonder

Title: A Week with Fiona Wonder
Author:  Kelly Huddleston

Publisher: Open
ISBN: 978-0615722825

Why Read?: Early Review
Challenges: YA Contemporary, Standalone, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: If I had to summarize A Week with Fiona Wonder in a phrase, I would call it a contemporary YA version of Roseanne.  It very much has the feel of the show, but with more teen angst, but real angst not fake angst like on teen TV shows.  It is very hard to describe, but a wonderful read.

Rating: 4 stars

The Sound and the Echoes

The Sound and the Echoes

by Dew Pellucid

published by author

2012

ISBN

Why Read?: Review

Challenges: YA/MG Fantasy, Self-Published, 100 Books in a Year

Young fantasy fans will find much to love with the world Dew Pellucid created in The Sound and the Echoes.  Some familiar fantasy elements mingle with new ones creating a world vastly different from our own.

Ever since Will’s sister disappeared in the lake when they were little, Will has had his two pets, Damien and Dia, for company.  His life is pretty normal – well, aside from the fact that his parents will not stop searching for his sister – until right before his 13^th birthday.  It is then that his pets tell him the truth about his sister…and about him.  Will is whisked away to the world of Echoes, semi-transparent twins to humans, whom they call Sounds.  He is heavily disguised because evil Echoes are out to kill him.  A law states that if a Sound dies, his Echo must be killed, and Will’s Echo just happens to the be the rightful heir to the throne.  With the help of his new best friend, Peter, Will must overcome many various obstacles to see his Echo ascend to the throne.

The world of the Echoes is a very unique one, as are many of the tasks Will must accomplish, although some are rather reminiscent of Harry Potter.  However, there are many characters that seem to come and go at random, and the evil Fate Sealers are very difficult to image.  Also, the plot tends to meander at times and all plot points do not necessarily lead to the ending.  These issues tend to throw older readers out of the story, but many young readers can look past these inconsistencies.

Dew Pellucid has penned a story that will easily entertain middle-readers. With a tighter storyline and solid characters, The Sound and the Echoes could be a wonderful fantasy to be enjoyed by all ages. 

Rating 2/5

Stacking the Shelves: 8/4-8/10

Requested from Paperbackswap:

Journey to the Well by Diana Wallis Taylor

Juliet by Anne Fortier

Bought from Barnes & Noble:

Redshirts by John Scalzi

Of Poseidon

Title: Of Poseidon
Author:  Anna Banks

Publisher: AudioGo
ISBN: 9781620640081

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, YA Mythology, YA/MG Fantasy, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I did enjoy Of Poseidon, but there were a few things that would often throw me out of the story.  At first, it was simply because - since I was listening to it and not reading it - I didn't realize it was alternating between 1st and 3rd person, not just between Emma and Galen.  Second, there were a few spots that just reminded me too much of other mermaid YA novels.  However, the last part, right up until the powerful ending, really gripped me.

Rating: 3 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 7/28-8/3

For possible review (here and on Bookloons):

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Omens by Kelley Armstrong

Romance at the Royal Menagerie by Ruth J. Hartman

LibraryThing Early Review:

The Demon's Wife by Rick Hautala

Selection for Astraea Press Book Club:

Knight of the Dead by Jennifer Rae Gravely

Bought at Barnes & Noble:

The Wonderful Future that Never Was by Popular Mechanics