Hippopotamister by John Patrick Green Blog Tour

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

The zoo isn't what it used to be. It's run-down and falling apart. Hippo hardly ever gets any visitors. So he decides to set off for the outside with his friend Red Panda. To make it in the human world, Hippo will have to become a Hippopotamister: he'll have to act like a human, get a job, and wear a hat as a disguise. He's a good employee, whether he's a construction worker, a hair stylist, or a sous chef. But what he really needs is a job where he can be himself.

 

ISBN: 9781626722002
May 10, 2016
Amazon Link
Macmillan

 

Review:

I'm just going to come right out and say it,  Hippopotamister is so far the best children's book I have reviewed to date. Hippo's good friend Red Panda made the story for me, which I believe was the intended purpose. He could not catch a break but that didn't dampen Hippo's attitude towards him. The overall message (which I won't say for spoilers) is meaningful. The friendship is admirable and his idea's are creative. Hippo and Red Panda try out different jobs that aren't too far fetched, for example, construction workers and accountants. I was actually quite stunned to see accountants as an occupation in a children's book. I personally recently graduated with an accounting degree, so this was especially nice to see. The artwork was simple yet descriptive. Below are some extra pictures drawn by the author himself. This book was adorable and funny, I would definitely recommend it to everyone.

About the Author

John Patrick Green grew up on Long Island and has worked in New York City since graduating from the School of Visual Arts with a degree in graphic design. He was the comics consultant for Disney Adventures magazine, where he wrote and often drew the popular Last Laugh feature. John is the co-creator and illustrator of the graphic novel series Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden and Teen Boat!, both with writer Dave Roman. He has also worked as a writer, illustrator, or designer on comics and graphic novels for Nickelodeon Magazine, DreamWorks, Scholastic Graphix, and DC Comics. John lives in Brooklyn with zero cats and way too many LEGOs.

Published by M

Science Comics: Coral Reefs-Cities of the Ocean

 Synopsis:

Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic--dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!

This volume: in Coral Reefs, we learn all about these tiny, adorable sea animals! This absorbing look at ocean science covers the biology of coral reefs as well as their ecological importance. Nonfiction comics genius Maris Wicks brings to bear her signature combination of hardcore cuteness and in-depth science.

ISBN: 978-162672-145-6
March 29, 2016
Amazon Link 

Review:

Science Comics: Coral Reefs - Cities of the Ocean was pure nostalgia for an adult like myself. My youth days of watching The Magic School Bus felt somewhat relived when I was reading this informative yet creative and funny comic. This is a great introductory to beginner science as well as a review for experienced learners. I was stumped on several of the "Did you Know" questionnaire.  

The author included a brief three page note about himself which I found to be just as intriguing as the comic itself. He does a great job including himself into the story and also includes comedic footnotes to help the reader make sense of the topic. There's a glossary in the back filled with important terminology. 

Overall, I would highly recommend this series for any kid or science lover out there. The illustrations were vivid and the plot moved pretty fast. It is a nice size comic book for any age.

About the Author:

Maris Wicks lives in sunny Somerville, Massachusetts. She is the author behind Human Body Theater, as well as the illustrator of New York Times-bestselling Primates, with Jim Ottaviani. When she's not making comics, Wicks works as a program educator at the New England Aquarium. She is quite fond of being in the water, whether it's swimming in ponds or scuba diving in the Atlantic Ocean. dotsforeyes.blogspot.com

Checkout the Tour:

Name	Blog/Website/Library/School/Etc	Date of Post (April)
Lizzi	xbelleofthebooks.com	11
Briana	Pages Unbound (http://pagesunbound.wordpress.com)	12
Stephanie Torina	http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/	13
Margie	http://bumblesandfairytales.blogspot.com	14
Kristine Hall	http://kristinehallways.blogspot.com	15
Jessica Harker	http://spinesandcovers.com/	18
Tanya	bookishbabes.wordpress.com	19
Kaitlyn H	No blog but Twitter.com/achubbybookworm	20
Marcilia Loubach	www.theplotbunny.com	21
Mia Swartz	Www.Mandemread.blogspot.com	22
Cody Roecker	www.roeckerreviews.blogspot.com	25
Heather DeFilippis	http://hermitlibrarian.blogspot.com	26
Amber Mann	http://bookstacksamber.wordpress.com	27
Sierra Davenport	sdavreads.wordpress.com	28
Martika	www.fangirlavue.blogspot.com	29

Posted by M

Because You'll Never Meet Me Review

ISBN:9781408862629
June 2, 2015
Amazon Link

Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas is about two boys on different sides of the world who share one major commonality, they both have extremely rare disabilities. Moritz, a 14 year
old boy living in Kreiszig, Germany was born without eyes in his skull and had a pacemaker put in his chest. His also 14 year old pen pal Ollie who lives in Michigan shacked up in a tiny little cabin out in the middle of the woods. He lives out there because he's allergic to electricity, how it works is electricity rejects him and he rejects electricity. The boys can never meet because of their disabilities but, that doesn't stop them from keeping in touch via letters. After the course of these letters both boys change each other's lives for the better. Oliver influences Moritz to embrace his disability and Moritz influenced Oliver to become focused and get up and out from
his hermitopia. With so many secrets and plot twists you can never predict what is going to happen to the boys next. I completely absolutely loved this novel I just couldn't put it down. Moritz had an extremely dark past, you think you know what's about to happen next but the actual event that occurs takes you by complete surprise. I stood corrected on just about every prediction scenario and was blown away by the diverse and different secrets these boys had. I will admit, as much praise that I would give this The back and forth communication between the two boys was my favorite part, I bumped a star because there's a noticeable chunk in the middle without their witty banter that I longed for. Overall this book was amazing and completely , utterly, and beautifully different than many other contemporary books that I read. I highly recommend Because You'll Never Meet Me.

Published by EM

The Sin Eater's Daughter Review

ISBN:9781760151577
March 1, 2015
Amazon Link

 *I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This review is long over due, I know but I am slowly coming out of my reading slump. This book was exactly what I needed. I'd say overall, I really enjoyed this but I had high hopes and was let down on a few occasions. BUT *DROOLS* this cover is simply GORGEOUS! And was the main reason why I had to read this. Just because of the cover, I own this title in every format available.

I've never read Graceling by Kristin Cashore but I heard this book is similar. I on the otherhand was reminded of The Selection by Kiera Cass and the CW TV show Reign when I was reading this book.

 I fell in love with the writing, in fact I started this book back in April but had to set it down, the first chapter was hard to forget and was desperate for more. I picked it up a few months later and finished it that same day. I was hooked. However, looking back I realized a few things, the plot really sticks in my mind after months from my initial read and aside from the writing, the plot wasn't all that exciting but yet I cannot get it out of my head. I will say though, I plan to read the sequel. I'm also dying to see what the will look like. I'd love to have these on my shelves no matter. Ugh, I am getting carried away again by the pretty cover, overall, I liked it but at the same time it wasn't great. I hope to see more action, maybe even a battle by breach? IDK I am curious to see where this series will go.

Published by M

Sunday Street Team: Where You'll Find Me by Natasha Friend

ISBN: 9780374302306
March 8, 2016
Amazon Link

Synopsis (GR):

The first month of school, thirteen-year-old Anna Collette finds herself... DUMPED by her best friend Dani, who suddenly wants to spend eighth grade "hanging out with different people." DESERTED by her mom, who's in the hospital recovering from a suicide attempt. TRAPPED in a house with her dad, a new baby sister, and a stepmother young enough to wear her Delta Delta Delta sweatshirt with pride. STUCK at a lunch table with Shawna the Eyebrow Plucker and Sarabeth the Irish Stepper because she has no one else to sit with. But what if all isn't lost?

Review:

I haven't read many young adult/middle grade books with major focus on family relationships but I would like to. Where You'll Find Me was a great start. The plot was learning how to deal with what you have, overcoming obstacles, and enjoying every moment you have or had with a love one. I was able to easily relate to Anna, she loved her mother and would do anything for her, forming a lifestyle without her (Alive mother) around was unbearable and her emotional journey to make it though was realistic. I'd be a wreck if I was placed in her shoes. 

The one major issue I had with this book was the pacing. For a short book of 272 pages, it was a bit rough to make it all the way through. 

Where You'll Find Me was a family dynamic, coming of age novel about learning to cope. Overall, the pacing was a little to slow in some areas but the plot was different from other YA/ middle grade books and I enjoyed it.

About the Author:

Natasha Friend--wearer of silly hats, lover of press-on mustaches, admirer of Gloria Steinem, devotee of well-named nail polish shades--is also an author. When she is not writing books, you will find her playing Wiffle ball, turning cartwheels, making chocolate-chip pancakes, singing, dancing, and wishing she was in a talent show. Natasha lives in Connecticut with her husband, three kids, and dog. Where You'll Find Me is her sixth novel. Visit her online at natashafriend.com

                                                           
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Published by M

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop US Only

This is just a small preview of all the books I have. A Google Doc will be provided for the Winners to choose from. There will be three winners of three sets. Please enter into the other fabulous giveaways. 

 The Guidelines:

-You must have a US mailing address 

-Must be 13 years or older with parent's permission (The winner has to be able to give me their address).

-All entries WILL be verified, don't cheat. 

-The giveaway will end the October 31st at Midnight 

-Winners will be announced via rafflecopter, email and Twitter

-Response is needed within three days if not another winner will be announced

- Books will be sent out 3-5 days after giveaway has ended

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Sunday Street Team: Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith

ISBN: 9781626720428
October 6, 2015
Amazon Link

 Goodreads Synopsis:

A high-concept, fantastical espionage novel set in a world where dreams are the ultimate form of political intelligence.

Livia is a dreamstrider. She can inhabit a subject's body while they are sleeping and, for a short time, move around in their skin. She uses her talent to work as a spy for the Barstadt Empire. But her partner, Brandt, has lately become distant, and when Marez comes to join their team from a neighborhing kingdom, he offers Livia the option of a life she had never dared to imagine. Livia knows of no other dreamstriders who have survived the pull of Nightmare. So only she understands the stakes when a plot against the Empire emerges that threatens to consume both the dreaming world and the waking one with misery and rage.

A richly conceived world full of political intrigue and fantastical dream sequences, at its heart Dreamstrider is about a girl who is struggling to live up to the potential before her.

Interview Questions:

1. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Aside from read? ;) I’m a really big board game and video game nerd! I cycle through a lot of different games, but right now I’m pretty obsessed with Heroes of the Storm, which is a battle arena game featuring a ton of characters from Blizzard games, and the board game Lords of Waterdeep. I love eating every cuisine imaginable and trying craft beers, as well.

2. What can we expect from you in the future?

Next fall (2016) I have another YA novel coming out from Roaring Brook/Macmillan Children’s that’s currently titled A Darkly Beating Heart. I don’t have a full summary for it yet, but I call it an angry bisexual Japanese time travel revenge fantasy. :) I’m also a member of the writing team for an upcoming serialized fiction project, The Witch Who Came In from the Cold, which is all about magical spies in 1970s Prague. That should go live early next year.

3. Do you have an interesting fact/inside joke about Dreamstrider?

There’s a scene where Livia and her team go undercover at a fancy masquerade ball early in the book, and Brandt, trying to pretend he’s intoxicated, goes on and on about the fact that there are tumblers at the ball. I shamelessly stole this from a friend who embarrassed himself when he met his favorite author George R. R. Martin, and tried to impress him with his knowledge of the opera company at Santa Fe (where Martin lives). When Martin replied that he hated opera, my friend insisted, “But they have tumblers! Tumblers!” Martin was unswayed.

4. Who is your least favorite character in your book?

Ooh, that’s tough! Even in my most despicable characters, I can usually find something appealing about them, or that I respect, at least. (I always say this about villains--you gotta admire their persistence!) Some of the Barstadt Empire’s advisers and ministers, however, are pretty inexcusable. They try to stymie Livia or dismiss her advice at every possible turn, all purely to make themselves look better to the Emperor.

5. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies? Any weird quirks while writing to help reach your writing goal?

I’ve gotten into the habit of writing with a timer instead of writing to a set word count. I’m not allowed to do anything--check social media, get a snack, turn on the TV--until the timer goes off. In the moment, sometimes I’ll get stuck, and each word I have to keep typing until that timer dings is painful, but whenever I look back on it later, it’s (almost) always perfectly fine in retrospect.

About the Author:

Author of YA historical thrillers SEKRET and SKANDAL and the forthcoming YA fantasy DREAMSTRIDER (all from Macmillan Children's). Russophile, foreign affairs junkie, nerd.

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Published by M

Sunday Street Team Never Never

ISBN:  978-1633920392
September 22, 2015
Amazon Link 

 Synopsis (Goodreads):

James Hook is a child who only wants to grow up.

When he meets Peter Pan, a boy who loves to pretend and is intent on never becoming a man, James decides he could try being a child—at least briefly. James joins Peter Pan on a holiday to Neverland, a place of adventure created by children’s dreams, but Neverland is not for the faint of heart. Soon James finds himself longing for home, determined that he is destined to be a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves. A world where children are to never grow up.

But grow up he does.

And thus begins the epic adventure of a Lost Boy and a Pirate.

This story isn’t about Peter Pan; it’s about the boy whose life he stole. It’s about a man in a world that hates men. It’s about the feared Captain James Hook and his passionate quest to kill the Pan, an impossible feat in a magical land where everyone loves Peter Pan.

Except one.

Review:

Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland are two of my most favorite types of retelling. I was super stoked to be asked to participate in the Sunday Street Team for Never Never. Overall, I wasn't too impressed but I did enjoy the story and twist on Neverland. The author did an amazing job explaining how Never Neverland came to be and I found it quite interesting.

From the very beginning, Peter sets rules the Lost Boys have to follow. One rule in particular I am confused about is height. No one is allowed surpass Peter in height and a few years later Hook is taller which infuriates Peter. I dont understand how one could grow in Never Neverland. Maybe I missed this reasoning because the rest of the book made sense.

Never Never was extremely descriptive and explained everything in depth. I found this to be both a flaw and positive take to the story. At times, I was overloaded with description and reasoning to the point I became bored stiff, it wasnt until after I finished the book I understood why there was so much description. The last 40% of the book really picked up the pace and I was finished in no time. I did struggle in the middle though ad had to pick it up three different times to make my way through.

Peter Pan has brutal mentality in Never Never. I normally don't see this type of behavior from Peter in other retelling however, Anna Katmore's Neverland is similiar. I was never a fan of Hook from the get-go so I wanted to see if this book would win me over with Hook. To be honest, I couldn't stand both Peter and Hook. For someone who wanted to grow up fast, Hook definitely went about it the wrong way. Both boys were very stubborn, I would have liked to see more of the Lost Boys come in to a comical play to offset the hair pulling tension between Peter and Hook.

I would recommend Never Never to fans of retelling and fantasy.

About the Author:

Brianna Shrum lives in Colorado with her high-school-sweetheart turned husband and her two little boys. She's been writing since she could scrawl letters, and has worked with teens since she graduated out of teenager-hood, either in the writing classes she taught, or working with the youth group. Brianna digs all things YA, all things geeky, superhero-y, gamery, magical, and strange.

Her debut YA, Never Never, releases in September of this year. Her second YA, How to Make Out, releases in Fall 2016. She'd totally love to connect with you, so come say hi on her website or Twitter!

Visit her Website at briannashrum.com

Follow her on Twitter @briannashrum

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Published by M

All the Rage Review

ISBN: 9781250021915
April 14, 2015
Amazon Link

 *Received an ARC from the Publisher in exchange for a review*

Romy Grey; hated by most, loved by few. Romy lives in a world where a teenage girl has no voice or opinion in any matter, men rule the town, adults don't listen to children for the better, and the authorities of the town are extremely one-sided for their benefit only. Romy tries to put last night together and find out what really happens to save her life and voice the truth; her truth.

All The Rage by Courtney Summers is a moving novel about a teenage girl who is  trying to share her voice in the world. The characters are very complex and you create such real genuine emotions to them. The main character Romy is such a strong girl for all she has, and is going through in her life. Romy's experience with rape is so brutal and heartbreaking, and shows readers what it's like for victims long after the incident, how it haunts them the rest of their lives. A few of the things I loved about this book is how strong Romy is, she really inspired me. Another thing is also the relationships Romy develops thought the book (especially the her relationship with Leon). All the Rage is very moving,  I felt upset, sad, and angry at times. A very powerful novel that will stay with you for a very long time, I definitely recommend this book to all young adults out there so that more people will be more aware of the issues covered in this book and hopefully in the near future we can prevent some of the issues from happening.

Published by EM

SBPT 15 Meet Some Fantastic Bloggers

Welcome to  the 2015 Summer Blogger Promo Tour hosted by the Book Bratz. This tour featured bloggers every Sunday. My last stop is dedicated to all of the bloggers I met over the past two months.

The Book Bratz represented cuisine. Their top three choices were here:

   

Bayram @ Never Ending Books enjoys Syfy's Dominion show and these are some books he recommends for fans here:

  

 Aila @ One Way Or An Author and I both enjoy K-Pop. She tied a K-Pop song to some of her favorite reads of 2015 here.

OKAY, so if you watched the music video it's a bit sexier than the book obviously, but the whole point of it is that the singers are "troublemakers," just like Mare is a troublemaker in Red Queen by being someone of red blood with powers. And of course, the romance singing back-and-forth in the song can be imagined as her and the other ends of the love triangle, Cal and/or Maven.


 Dawn @Bang Bang Books enjoys attending Book Festivals here:

North Virginia YA Teen Book Festival or NoVaTEEN is returning! One More Page Books is partnering with Arlington Public Libraries and Fairfax County Public Library, with co-sponsors Arlington County Schools, GMU's Fall for the Book, and Falls Church City Public Schools to bring a FREE festival packed with books, authors, and special events to Arlington, VA. More info including the line up from this past year can be found out here.

Dana @Danasquare recommends five underrated books here.

The Edge of Forever:

This scifi debut was completely inventive and unique. The world and concept was done so well. The switch between present and future as well as the switch of point of view was written very well. It also had a very interesting mused mystery aspect. I hope there is a sequel because there so much more I want to know.

Pamela @A Writer's Tale  expressed her top favorite covers here

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things, by Ann Aguirre

  

And here's another one with Sticky Notes! All the Bright Places depresses me, so let's just go with this one. The sticky notes trend is pretty, and specially because, at least in this one, they do mean something. They're in the story. So it's not just there because. Symbolism in covers? Yay!

Mishma @Chasingfaerytales Did a More Happy Than Not Tag here.

I reread my childhood favorite books

When I read my childhood , whether it's Harry Potter or Narnia, I am immediately taken back to my carefree young days. These books have the magic of making me feel like I am going back to a place where I actually belong:)

I had a wonderful time the past two months meeting great bloggers who share the same passion as I do. Thank you so much for sharing!