Jill's Book Blog

Release Celebration: The Weirdo Academy Series

Welcome to the Release Day Celebration for

The Weirdo Academy Series by Charles Curtis

presented by Tantrum Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Happy Book Birthday,Charles!

Alexander Graham Ptuiac, the son of an inventor, dreams of playing football. But his dreams are thwarted by his lack of athleticism and overall lanky build. Like any kid with a dream, Alex tries out anyway, just in case. If nothing else, maybe he can win the role of water boy. So when Alex suddenly manifests superhuman powers during football tryouts, Alex can’t believe his good luck. He’s got game! But his new abilities can get him kicked off the team; unless Alex can keep it a secret long enough to find out how the heck he got this way. Enter Dex, a diminutive classmate who can somehow jump as high as ten feet in the air. Now, Alex isn’t the only one at school with a secret. Except, the boys have caught the attention of some pretty nefarious adults, intent on making sure neither Alex nor Dex make it through the season.The only thing stranger than Alexander Graham Ptuiac, accidental quarterback, is the shocking truth about himself and his parents. When truth is stranger than fiction and adults are out to get you, there’s only one thing to do. Play ball!

Accidental Quarterback (Weirdo Academy #1)
by Charles Curtis
Publication Date: November 7 2017
Publisher: Tantrum Books/Month9Books

Alex and Dex are local heroes. Suddenly, everyone wants to be friends with Alex, Dex and Sophi.

But someone more powerful than any of them lurks in the background, keeping a close watch until it’s time to swoop in and capture them. Still, Alex tries to maintain some semblance of normalcy — in the offseason, he wants to play baseball. As Alex becomes a formidable pitcher, his powers grow and so does his obsession with controlling them.

With Alex finding less and less time for Dex and Sophi, Dex discovers his cat-like abilities start to disappear soon after he starts spending time with a girl.

As the friends struggle to maintain their friendships, that mysterious someone gets closer and closer. Can the three friends find their way back to one another before it’s too late? Or will middle school tear them apart for good?

The Impossible Pitcher (Weirdo Academy #2)
by Charles Curtis
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Publisher: Tantrum Books/Month9Books

Charles Curtis a sportswriter for USA Today’s For The Win. He has reported and written for other publications including ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, Bleacher Report, NJ.com, TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. He lives in New York City with his wife and son.

Website • Twitter • Facebook

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Blog Tour: Wolves and Roses

Title: Wolves and Roses
Author: Christina Bauer
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Monster House Books
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Release Date: October 31, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

“If Janet Evanovich teamed with a young adult, fairy-tale author like Marissa Meyer (the Lunar Chronicles) or Alex Flinn (Beastly), the result might be something like Christina Bauer’s Wolves and Roses.” –Blue Ink Review

Seventeen-year-old Bryar Rose has a problem. She’s descended from one of the three magical races–shifters, fairies, or witches. That makes her one of the Magicorum, and Magicorum always follow a fairy tale life template. In Bryar’s case, that template should be Sleeping Beauty.

“Should” being the key word.

Trouble is, Bryar is nowhere near the sleeping beauty life template. Not even close. She doesn’t like birds or woodland creatures. She can’t sing. And she certainly can’t stand Prince Philpot, the so-called “His Highness of Hedge Funds” that her aunties want her to marry. Even worse, Bryar’s having recurring dreams of a bad boy hottie and is obsessed with finding papyri from ancient Egypt. What’s up with that?

All Bryar wants is to attend a regular high school with normal humans and forget all about shifters, fairies, witches, and the curse that Colonel Mallory the Magnificent placed on her. And she might be able to do just that–if only she can just keep her head down until her eighteenth birthday when the spell that’s ruined her life goes buh-bye.

But that plan gets turned upside down when Bryar Rose meets Knox, the bad boy who’s literally from her dreams. Knox is a powerful werewolf, and his presence in her life changes everything, and not just because he makes her knees turn into Jell-O. If Bryar can’t figure out who–or what–she really is, it might cost both her and Knox their lives… as well as jeopardize the very nature of magic itself.

Review:

I enjoyed this story. It has so many of the fairytale elements that I love, mixed in with the modern world.

There were many twists that kept me guessing. Not everything (or everyone) was what it seemed. I was constantly being surprised by this story.

I wish the setting played a bigger role in the story. It was set in New York, so it could have been more present in the story. Sometimes they went out to the Adirondacks, which was a nice detail. But I would have liked to see the setting described more.

At times, the narration was cheesy and sarcastic. Both Bryar and Knox were alternating narrators, so it was told through their voices. Even so, the writing could have been improved without some of the sarcasm.

This is a good book for fans of fairytale adaptations!

About the Author:

Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers.

Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release–the only one sent out on a major wire service–resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Stalk Christina on Social Media – She Loves It!
Blog: http://monsterhousebooks.com/blog/category/christina
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorBauer/
Twitter: @CB_Bauer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christina_cb_bauer/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-bauer-481b12139/
Web site: http://monsterhousebooks.com/authors/cbauer

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)

Win The Wolves and Roses Treasure Box
Bry’s Earrings
Rose Hair Clip
Signed Copy Of Wolves and Roses

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule:

October 30th
–Mythical Books >> Review
–Kindle and Me >> Review
–What’s Beyond Forks? >> Review
–My Crea Bookish Kingdom >> Review

October 31st
–Angel’s Guilty Pleasures >> Guest post
–Novels & Necklaces >> Review
–Spinatale Reviews >> Excerpt

November 1st
–Arkham Reviews >> Review
–The Genre Minx Book Reviews >> Review
–Star-Crossed Book Blog >> Review
–Book Sniffers Anonymous >> Excerpt

November 2nd
–Bibliobibuli YA >> Interview
–CBY Book Club >> Excerpt
–Pervy Ladies Books >> Review
–Lovely Paranormal Books >> Review

November 3rd
–Whatever You Can Still Betray >> Guest post
–Book Addict >> Review
–Smada’s Book Smack >> Review
–Utopia State of Mind >> Review

—

November 6th
–Girls With Books >> Excerpt
–The Critic Uncritical Bookworm >> Review

November 7th
–Thoughts in Progress >> Guest post
–Happymomblogger >> Review
–Firstbooklove >> Excerpt

November 8th
–Butterfly-o-Meter Books >> Interview
–Jill Jemmett >> Review
–Desert Rose Reviews >> Review

November 9th
–A Bibliotaph’s Reviews >> Excerpt
–The Rest Is Still Unwritten >> Review
–Lisa Loves Literature >> Interview

November 10th
–The Avid Reader >> Review
–CLOUD 9 BOOKS >> Review
–The Rest Is Still Unwritten >> Excerpt
–BrizzleLass Books >> Guest post

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for letting me participate in this blog tour.

Review: The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2)

Title: The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2)
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Source: Purchased
Release Date: April 1, 2006
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan’s amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a “half blood” whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan’s series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment.
In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book’s drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

Review:

I liked this book, though not as much as the first one. Percy was on his own in much of this adventure. I missed the way he interacted with his friends.

However, I love Homer’s Odyssey, so I loved the similarities between that and this book. Percy goes on his own Odyssey to find the Golden Fleece. The Odyssey is a huge part of Greek mythology, so I was glad to see it represented so faithfully in this book.

We also learn more about their camp and the people who run it. Percy’s story is further developed in this story.

I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series!

My review for The Lightning Thief can be found here.

Review: The End We Start From

Title: The End We Start From
Author: Megan Hunter
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: November 7, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

An indelible and elemental debut–a lyrical vision of the strangeness and beauty of new motherhood, and a tale of endurance in the face of unimaginable change. In the midst of a mysterious environmental crisis, as London is submerged below flood waters, a woman gives birth to her first child, Z. Days later, the family is forced to leave their home in search of safety. As they move from place to place, shelter to shelter, their journey traces both fear and wonder as Z’s small fists grasp at the things he sees, as he grows and stretches, thriving and content against all the odds. This is a story of new motherhood in a terrifying setting: a familiar world made dangerous and unstable, its people forced to become refugees. Startlingly beautiful, Megan Hunter’s The End We Start From is a gripping novel that paints an imagined future as realistic as it is frightening. And yet, though the country is falling apart around them, this family’s world—of new life and new hope—sings with love.

Review:

I read many good reviews for this book on other book blogs, so I wanted to read it too. It is a very original story.

It reminded me a lot of Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. The world is in an unidentified crisis. The narrator’s house has been flooded and supplies are limited. There is no more internet. Everything in the world unravels around her but she stays grounded through her son.

I like how the story shows the woman’s tough journey through motherhood that coincides with this new world. Though she is always comparing things to what she used to know, her son, Z, will only know this new world.

This story has a beautiful lyrical quality to it. The narrator’s voice is interspersed with excerpts of human origin stories from mythology or religion. It reflects the way that this is her son’s own origin story, in this new world.

I really enjoyed this story. I recommend it if you want to read something short and poetic.

Review: An American Cage

Title: An American Cage
Author: Ted Galdi
Publisher: Precipice Books
Genre: Thriller
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: October 16, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

An American Cage follows Danny and his two escape partners over a twenty-four-hour period as they struggle to cross Texas to freedom in Mexico. On this dangerous adventure, Danny has to evade the rabid Texas authorities, and even worse, the schemes of one of his closest allies, who isn’t who he seems.

The second novel by Amazon #1 bestselling author and multi-award winner Ted Galdi, this psychological thriller is packed with suspense, twists, and grit, all while having heart. The story follows its protagonist on a journey of self-discovery and redemption as he weaves through a rocky landscape of family issues, guilt, betrayal, and questions about the nature of good and evil.

Along the way, he encounters an eclectic supporting cast, including a renowned psychology professor, a car thief, a young female hitchhiker, the leader of a biker gang, and a small-town Texas detective with big ambitions.

This gritty thriller culminates in a surprise ending sure to leave readers both stunned and satisfied.

Featuring vivid descriptions of Texas’s places and personalities, An American Cage adds to the rich history of Southern crime fiction while maintaining a universal appeal to any lover of an edgy thriller.

Probing the dynamics of deceit, this police chase book is just as much a psychological manipulation book as it is a piece of popular crime fiction. With echoes of the upmarket novels of writers like Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos, An American Cage goes deep into its characters’ psyches while remaining fast-paced, gripping, and wildly entertaining.

Review:

I really enjoyed this story!

The story starts off with a bang when the convicts escape from prison. I was hooked right from the beginning. It was very fast paced and exciting!

Each of the convicts had a distinct voice that reflected their backgrounds. For example, Phil spoke eloquently while Monty used a lot of slang. This helped to differentiate between them.

I was surprised at how this story played out. When it opens with the prison escape, I wondered what would happen for the rest of the story. It turned into a wild roller coaster ride, as the three prisoners journey to their freedom.

There were so many twists and turns, I never knew what was going to happen next. This is a great, thrilling book.

Review: Wonder Woman

Title: Wonder Woman, Volume 2: Year One
Author: Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: DC Comics
Source: Purchased
Release Date: May 9, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A part of DC Universe: Rebirth!

New York Times best-selling writer Greg Rucka continues his return to Wonder Woman! The team of Rucka and artist Nicola Scott weave the definitive and shocking tale of Diana’s first year as Earth’s protector.

Paradise has been breached, Ares stirs, and the Amazons must answer with a champion of their own…one who is willing to sacrifice her home amongst her sisters to save a world she has never seen. Wonder Woman’s journey begins in this epic origin story!

Review:

I really enjoyed this graphic novel!

I liked it much more than the first in this series. It gave a great introduction to Wonder Woman and her background.

The first volume was very mysterious, and it was hard to tell what was real most of the time. This one gave the origin story for Wonder Woman. I wish this one was the first volume instead. It would have made much more sense.

The graphics in this series are beautiful. They are very realistic. I love the natural settings. It’s a beautiful graphic novel.

I’ll be reviewing the third volume before the fourth is released later this month!

Mary Anne Saves The Day (Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel #3)

Title: Mary Anne Saves The Day (Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel #3)
Author: Ann M. Martin, Raina Telgemeier
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Release Date: September 29, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Who would have guessed that when the BSC girls get in a HUGE fight, it’s shy and quiet Mary Anne who manages to save their friendship?

When a terrible fight breaks out among the four BABY-SITTERS CLUB friends, Mary Anne is left to her own devices. She has to sit by herself at lunch, make new friends, and deal with her overprotective father without advice from the BSC gang. But the worst part is when she faces a terrible baby-sitting predicament, and she can’t find any help.

Luckily, Mary Anne rises to the occasion. Not only does she handle all her problems with aplomb, she also manages to get the BSC back together again.

Review:

The members of the Baby-Sitters Club have a huge fight. They stop speaking to each other. The next day at school, Mary Anne sits by herself at lunch and she is joined by a new girl, Dawn Shaffer. They start hanging out while Mary Anne isn’t speaking to her other friends. Meanwhile, the Baby-Sitters Club continues, but since they aren’t speaking to each other, they can’t have meetings together. They each take turns being at the meeting place to take the calls for their jobs. It all culminates when they have to work at a child’s party together. They have to decide if they make up or if the club is over.

I loved this graphic novel. It’s so nice to see my favourite stories brought to life by these illustrations.

I liked that the baby-sitters faced a major problem in this story. They had to get past their differences to continue together in the club.

I’m excited to see the rest of the series adaptated into graphic novels.

Review: The Diabolic

Title: The Diabolic
Author: S.J. Kincaid
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Purchased
Release Date: November 1, 2016
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nemesis is a Diabolic. Created to protect a galactic Senator’s daughter, Sidonia. There’s no one Nemesis wouldn’t kill to keep her safe. But when the power-mad Emperor summons Sidonia to the galactic court as a hostage, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia.

She must become her.

Now one of the galaxy’s most dangerous weapons is masquerading in a world of corruption and Nemesis has to hide her true abilities or risk everything. As the Empire begins to fracture and rebellion looms closer, Nemesis learns that there is something stronger than her deadly force: the one thing she’s been told she doesn’t have – humanity. And, amidst all the danger, action and intrigue, her humanity might be the only thing that can save her, Sidonia and the entire Empire…

Review:

This book far exceeded my expectations!

I was pleasantly surprised at this unique story. So many YA fantasy books follow the same storyline: a girl from a low class family ends up going to the main city/castle and meets the prince; then she ends up competing to be the prince’s suitor, and she overcomes her low status to become the future princess. Even though this one has hints of a Cinderella story for Nemesis, it isn’t predictable.

This story addresses issues of sexual power. Many people in power use their position to exploit people below them. This is very relevant today, since celebrities are constantly being accused of sexual assault.

Since I’m reading this book after the sequel has been released, I had an idea of what was going to happen. I guessed that s someone would become an Empress in the second novel, since it’s called The Empress. Even though I had this bit of a spoiler, I really enjoyed the story and I found it very surprising.

I’m so excited to read the sequel in the next couple of weeks!

Review: Practical Magic

Title: Practical Magic
Author: Alice Hoffman
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Release Date: June 13, 1995
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Owens sisters confront the challenges of life and love in this bewitching novel from New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman.

For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape.

One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back–almost as if by magic…

Review:

I picked up this book because I received an ARC of the prequel that just came out, called The Rules of Magic.

I enjoyed this story. It was very character driven. I usually don’t like stories that are character driven, but a strong plot emerged in the latter half of this book that brought all the characters together.

I really liked the duos that are in the book. There are three sets of two sisters. There are also dueling kinds of magic. The Owens have a natural kind of magic, while Ben likes doing magic tricks. Ben is also the science teacher, and science is kind of a magic in itself.

I loved the ending of this story. It felt complete. I like it when all (or most) of the loose ends are tied up by the end.

Now, I’ll have to watch the movie adaptation!

Review: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Title: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Author: Jun Asuka
Publisher: Tokyopop
Genre: NetGalley
Release Date: September 26, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jack Skellington is the Pumpkin King, the ruler of Halloween Town and master of all things creepy and spooky. But he’s tired of his life in the shadows and longs for something new. When he accidentally stumbles upon Christmas Town, he decides this is the perfect chance to try his hand at a brand new holiday and is convinced he’ll have the world yelling “Scary Christmas”! With the young patchwork doll Sally trying to dissuade him and the evil Oogie Boogie waiting in the wings to take over Halloween Town in Jack’s absence, he’d better hurry if he wants to get his plan in place by December 25th! You’ve seen the movie, now read the manga for a new twist on an animated classic!

Review:

I’ve wanted to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas for a long time, but I haven’t yet. So when I saw the manga version, I had to read it.

I really enjoyed the story. I love that it’s a cross between Halloween and Christmas. Though those two holidays are two months apart, they’re so connected, since as soon as Halloween is over, the shelves are filled with Christmas gifts.

One problem I had (and I’m not sure if this will be the same in the physical copy) is the colouring. It’s in black and white, and some of the panels were so detailed that it was hard to tell what was happening. When only two colours are used, it’s difficult to distinguish between characters, so sometimes I didn’t know what was happening. Also, many of the speech bubbles didn’t have an obvious direction of who it was coming from, so I couldn’t tell who was speaking. These issues may not be as bad for someone who has watched the movie, but since I wasn’t familiar with the story before, I struggled with these visual problems.

However, I really liked this story. I’m glad I read this manga edition!