Mundie Moms

Monday, September 28, 2015

Banned Books Week: Celebrate The FREEDOM To READ / 15 BOOKS BANNED FOR THE MOST ABURD REASONS EVER #BannedBooksWeek



It's BANNED BOOK WEEK! That means it's time to celebrate the freedom to read! Yes my lovely readers, it's the time of year that Sophie and I dust off our soap boxes, perfect our mama bear voices, and passionately spread our love of reading. It's the time of year where were stand firm in our stances against BANNING BOOKS, unless of course it's the book that we shall not name, that both Sophie and I despise. While we both want to burn said book, we still won't take some one else's freedom away from reading such crap... *coughs* Sorry, I got off topic. 


BuzzFeed kicked off this week's Banned Books Week with our kind of article, 15 BOOKS BANNED FOR THE MOST ABURD REASONS EVER. Yes, these are definitely the most absurd reasons. I mean that's be honest, banning a book like Charlotte's Web because talking animals are blasphemous and unnatural is definitely reason to ban a book. *Said in my best sarcastic mom voice along with an eye roll, and a possible hand on the hip.* This book is one of my beloved children's books, and I might be tempted to take offense of it's banned reason on behalf of the talking animals. Sorry, my sarcasm tends to come out during banned book week. This is a book I proudly have in my home library, along with many others like Harry Potter, Winnie The Pooh (yes all of these have been on the banned list) and others. Check out other books on this list like,





Head over to here if you want some good laughs on the reasons some of these most beloved children's books have been banned. 

THE DOLDRUMS by Nicolas Gannon / Book Review / Middle Grade Monday




By: Nicholas Gannon
Published by: Greenwillow Books
To Be Released on: 9/29/15
Ages: 8-12 years old
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 4.5 stars - I Really Enjoyed It!
Source: book from publisher to review, in exchange for my honest review

Archer B. Helmsley has grown up in a house full of oddities and treasures collected by his grandparents, the famous explorers. He knows every nook and cranny. He knows them all too well. After all, ever since his grandparents went missing on an iceberg, his mother barely lets him leave the house.

Archer B. Helmsley longs for adventure. Grand adventures, with parachutes and exotic sunsets and interesting characters. But how can he have an adventure when he can't leave his house?

It helps that he has friends like Adélaïde L. Belmont, who must have had many adventures since she ended up with a wooden leg. (Perhaps a crocodile ate it. Perhaps not.) And Oliver Glub. Oliver will worry about all the details (so that Archer doesn't have to).

And so Archer, Adélaïde, and Oliver make a plan. A plan to get out of the house, out of their town entirely. It's a good plan.

Well, it's not bad, anyway.

But nothing goes quite as they expect.

THE DOLDRUMS is the perfect mix of imagination, unforgettable adventure, and friendship. Archer B. Helmsley wants to go on an adventure. Not just any adventure. He wants to save his Grandparents, the famous explorers, Ralph and Rachel Helmsley, whom are reportedly lost on an iceberg from their latest adventure to Antarctica. Convinced that his Grandparents are alive, Archer has to figure out a way to escape the house he's been bound to, thanks to his Mother, whom disapproves of his "tendencies" as she calls them. No matter how hard his mother tries to stop it, she can't stop a Helmsley.

Archer was destined to follow in his parents footsteps. Their world is one quirky, unforgettable adventure. The house they left for Archer to grow up in is full of many interesting things. Like the stuffed Polar Bear that Archer can talk to. The Flamingoes, the badger and many other fascinating things. All these things add to Archer's desire for an adventure to save the Grandparents he doesn't even remember meeting. There's something about them that drives Archer to find them. The clues they leave behind for him, only fuel his desire to rescue them. 

Thankfully Archer has a great group of eccentric friends whom want to help him. I loved this group of friends. Each friend is someone who is unique and I loved all their little quirks, that make them individually fabulous. Like Oliver, the shy next door neighbor, and Adelaide, the new girl who moved in across the street, from Paris. She used to be a ballerina dancer under a freak accident left her with a wooden leg. She is seriously amazing. Have I already mentioned that I loved this group of friends? I loved that though Oliver might be timid, and Adelaide might be small, and Archer might be seen as an outcast, these three are incredibly loyal and brave. I loved that they figure out a way to make the impossible adventure to travel to Antarctica, but it's not without some fantastic twists... or should I say mishaps. 

The Doldrums is an epic, unforgettable adventure. With mishaps, and misfortunes, the real heart of this story lies with Archer and his friends. Readers of all ages will enjoy the journey of Archer and his friends. Nicholas Gannon's writing and artwork are beautiful. I felt like he captured those middle grade reader years beautifully. I loved this book's art. Okay loved is an understatement. The artwork is breathtaking, or as I liked to say, I'd frame it and hang it in my office. The artwork alone made this book for me. The bonus was getting to meet Archer, Oliver and Adelaide. I hope there are many more books to follow in the adventures of these unforgettable friends. 

Check out a beautiful sneak peak of the artwork below: 
 Not only is the artwork adorable, the story itself is on epic adventure. 

HOLLYWOOD WITCH HUNTER by Valerie Tejeda / Cover Reveal / Giveaway


USA Today has revealed the new cover for Valerie Tejeda's HOLLYWOOD WITCH HUNTER! Check out their article here. We're thrilled to also be among a group of bloggers whom are sharing the cover reveal today with you. Check out the new cover below!




What do you think? I'm totally digging this new cover. This is a book I still need to pick up and read. I've heard a lot of great things about it. 

ABOUT THE BOOK


From the moment Iris first learned the truth about witches she knew she was born to fight them.


Now, at sixteen, she’s got witch hunting down to a science. As the lone girl on the Witch Hunters Special Ops Team, Iris has to work twice as hard to prove her worth. But when an A-list actress is murdered on her watch, that task becomes a hell of a lot harder.

But murdered celebrities are just the start…a mysterious new hunter has arrived on the scene, and he’s as cute as he is deadly. But there’s more to Arlo than meets the eye, and there’s more at stake than Iris’s reputation. 

Evil is rising in the hills of Hollywood, and it’s up to Iris and Arlo to end this battle. Iris is ready to protect the human race at all costs, even if it destroys her.

Because that’s what witch hunters do.


BUY LINKS

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | BAM
*note to celebrate the new cover Hollywood Witch Hunter is on sale now for .99 till next Friday


ENTER TO WIN

ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Entertainment journalist and author Valerie Tejeda spends her days reporting on books, television, and all things pertaining to pop culture, and spends her nights writing novels for teens. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and is currently based in California with her husband where she reads loads of books, binge-watches Netflix, and drinks tons of coffee. Hollywood Witch Hunter is her debut novel. 


Snapchat username: authorvaltejeda

Virtues & Vices Series by Cassandra Clare & Cassandra Jean / Mundane Monday #257

Happy Monday Shadowhunters! Have you checked out the latest project by Cassandra Clare and Cassandra Jean? They've created a Virtues & Vices series.



Cassie explains how the project started here:

Cassandra Jean and I were discussing the seven deadly sins (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride) and the seven virtues (chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, humility) and it sparked a new project: which TMI/TID/TDA/TLH characters embody which virtues and vices?


Check out the series:





PATIENCE = Jem Carstairs. Find out more about his virtues & vices feature here.

KINDNESS = Will Herondale. Find out more about his virtues & vices feature here.



PRIDE = Valentine. Find out more about his virtues & vices feature here

ENVY = Sebastian Morgenstern. Find out more about his virtues & vices feature here.


WISDOM = Magnus Bane. Find out more about his virtues & vices feature here

I wonder which character will be featured next. Check out all six of the Virtues & Vices featured so far here

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