Mundie Moms

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Book Review-The Baby-Sitters Club, The Summer Before by Ann M. Martin

Being a huge fan of the original Baby Sitters Club, I gave this book 5 stars, as Ann did a wonderful job at keeping the integrity of the characters and being true to their voices. I feel that author sometimes tend to forget their true characters when they add a book to their popular series, but this wasn't the case at all. Ann did an excellent job with this upcoming release. I think this book is a must have addition to the ever popular series. It brought back some feelings I had when I first read about Mary Ann, Kristy, Claudia and Stacey. I think fans of the original series and new fans alike will love this book.

We get to see what they girls went through the summer before the club was started. I think Ann captured all the right emotions and things we go through as we're growing up. The summer between the girls 6th grade going on to 7th grade year was a tough one for them. There are joys and sorrows. We get to see what each girl is dealing with and how.

To read more of our review, please visit here- http://keepreadingtoyourchild.blogspot.com/

Book Review - The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

To Be Published 6 April 2010
Published by Harper Collins
5 out of 5 Stars

Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now, along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I’m on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We’re hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We’ll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we’d left behind and to take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope.

Okay, before I get into the review, I would like to just make you aware that there may be some small spoliers, since this is the third book in the Darkest Powers series, however, I will not be posting any spoilers about the plot line etc so do not fear!! I had the biggest feeling of trepidation when I started reading this book, its always the same whenever I read the last in a series. A whole load of questions whirl through my mind; will the characters end up where I want them to? will the questions brought up be answered? will I get the conclusion I am looking for as a reader? So to kick off my review, I would like to say this book quenched my thirst like a glass of water to a dude stuck in the desert. It was everything I could have hoped for and more.

This book for me was not which route the plot would take, but how the characters would deal with the hand they had been dealt. Namely, how they dealt with their powers and to what uses they put them to. That was the higlight of the book, seeing how much Kelley had developed her characters into the people we see in this book, how the decisions they made in the past have shaped them into the people laid onto the pages for us. Chloe our protagonist had the most amazing character development. She went from an introverted shy girl who was afraid of her powers and trusted almost everyone just because they seemed wiser and smarter than her, to a girl who wasn't afraid to make the right decision even if it wasn't somthing that would be easy. She progressed so much as a chartacter, and because of that, I don't see this as a paranormal story. I see this particular series as a story of how a young girl can overcome something horrible, can battle her demons, see her faults as something that are a part of her and not something to be ashamed of. A girl who comes out the other side a better person.

Kelley is an amazing author, and the world she has built here never failed to suck me in and keep me hooked. Am I sad that the series has ended? Yes, more than I would like to admit. I feel like these characters are my friends, like I know them, that I have invested my time and feelings in their story and but also got something in return. Did every single loose end get tied up? No, but you know what? this didn't bother me, I liked that about this book. In this case, some things are better left unsaid. And plus, if not every single question that was raised was addressed, then maybe we will get another glimpse into these characters lives in the future.

My favourite character has never wavered since I read The Summoning, and I bet you can guess who I mean. Yes, I am talking about Derek. The rather tall, grumpy, moody, teenage boy that has a power that would make me love him regardless. Yes, we was a wolf. I loved him as a character, he was protective and caring, he never hesitated when it came to protecting his friends. I particularly enjoyed seeing his vulnerable side when it came to protecting those he cared about and his unwavering faith and trust in them. An anazing end to an amazing series. If you haven't read these books, then your missing out. If you plan on reading them, then I envy you, because you get to experience it for the very first time.

Bree Despain's Blog Stop with Mundie Moms

We are very excited to have The Dark Divine author, Bree Despain on our blog today. If you haven't picked up The Dark Divine, you are missing out. It's a must read and one we definitely recommend adding to your book collection. Be sure to enter our giveaway to win one of 4 The Dark Divine nail polishes.

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

What three words would you use to describe The Dark Divine?

Um, Dark and Divine? No, let’s see . . . Paranormal Prodigal Son

We're complete wolf girls at heart, and love your werewolf mythology. Did you do any research on wolves or mythology research on werewolves before writing TDD?

Yes! I love that I can call renting werewolf movies “research.” I watched movies, read books, and historical accounts about werewolves. I even watched documentaries about wolves in the wild. My particular mythology was inspired by a two sentence historical account that I stumbled upon one day. It was about a man in the 1600s who had been accused of being a werewolf by his townspeople—but instead of denying it, he proudly claimed to be a werewolf and explained that nobody understood what werewolves were really created to do. His explanation about werewolves was so creative that the judge dismissed his case and let him go. I was so intrigued by what this man said, I took this two sentence account and built upon to create my own mythology.

How would you describe your main character Grace?

Grace is . . . well, grace. I think her greatest strength and her greatest weakness is that she thinks she needs to help everybody. It ends up getting her into a lot of trouble—but it’s also what makes other people love her so much.

We are so excited for the sequel to TDD. What can you tell us about The Lost Saint?

Hmm, I’m actually not sure what I’m allowed to tell you at this point.

Okay, let’s just say that I get to heat things up between Daniel and Grace a bit—but I also have to complicate things between them, too. Grace wants to learn how to use her budding superpowers, and there’s plenty more secrets to be revealed. We may, or may not, find out what happened to Jude. And there’s a couple of new characters headed for Rose Crest who bring a whole new set of complications with them . . . and one of these characters also happens to be pretty darn hot. Um, did I mention things get complicated?


Is it December yet?! You're bringing in more hot guys? Oh poor Daniel. LOL Which character did you enjoy writing the most?

Really depends on the day. Today I’d say Daniel. There’s something so interesting about delving into the head of a conflicted character. He’s got a messed up past, but he really does want to be a better person.

    What is the best writing advice you have received that you could share with aspiring writers?

    Great books aren’t written, they’re revised!

    Seriously, learning how to self-edit and take criticism/feedback and use it to make a better story is the number one thing a writer needs to learn how to do if he/she wants to get published. Very few people can sell a first draft to a publisher, and even if you do that, you’ll still be required to revise. If you don’t have one already, get a critique group that will push you to become a better writer.

    Who are some of the writers that have influenced you?

    I have pretty diverse tastes in books, so I have quite the mix of authors who have influenced me: Meg Cabot, Laurie Halse Anderson, Kristen D. Randle, Elizabeth Peters, Sara Zarr, Emily Wing Smith, A.E. Cannon, Martine Leavitt, Tennessee Williams, Virginia Euwer Wolff and Joss Whedon (not an author, but a big influence).

    Thank you Bree for taking the time to come and visit with us and answer our questions. We can't wait to read The Lost Saint.

    Bree is currently on a blog tour. In case you missed it yesterday, she stopped by The Story Siren, http://www.thestorysiren.com/ and tomorrow she'll be visiting Tales of Whimsy, http://www.talesofwhimsy.com/. You can see Bree's other blog stops here http://breebiesingerdespain.blogspot.com

    To enter our giveaway to win one of 4 Dark Divine Nail Polishes, be sure you're a blog follower and leave us a comment with your valid email address. Our giveaway will end at midnight CST on March 30th, 2010.
    Unfortunately this giveaway is only open to US residents.

    Twitter Tuesday - Kiersten White

    I'm sure like most Mundie Moms, you've been awaiting a sneak peek at Kiersten White's Paranormalcy. Well, yesterday, its cover was revealed:

    Haunting and gorgeous isn't it? Well, while we're waiting for it's release on September 21st, here's an excerpt from Kiersten's webpage:

    My name's Evie. I work for the IPCA. Yeah, the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But don't worry, I'm not a vamp or werewolf or faerie or anything. And I don't kill them, either. Just bag and tag. After all, we're not out to eliminate them--just to neuter them. Sorry, IPCA joke. We don't actually neuter them, because, well, yuck. We just help them live harmlessly among humans. Sometimes they don't want the help, but we give it to them anyway. Think of us as the UN, if the UN carried tasers and silver knives.

    So you're probably wondering why a sixteen-year-old girl is the prize possession of IPCA. I'm sure you know all about glamours--most paranormals have them, meaning normal people (okay, everyone else in the world except me) can't see what they really are. But there's no fooling me; I can see through to what they are underneath. Trust me: all of this nonsense about vampires being sexy? NOT. TRUE.

    So that's my life. Or, it was, until paranormals started dying and something unlike anything we'd seen before broke into the Center and changed everything...

    It has us hooked just on the excerpt and premise alone. We can hardly wait for September now!

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