Character Guest Post: Danielle Levine from OCD, The Dude, & Me

Hello Fellow Readers!

Today I'm welcoming the main character, Danielle, from the book OCD, The Dude, & Me to Melissa's Midnight Musings, as part of a blog tour hosted by Pump Up Your Book Tours. Read on to find out more about the book, the author, and Danielle's struggles with OCD and ADHD.

About The Book:

Title: OCD, The Dude & Me

Author: Lauren Roedy Vaughn

Publisher: Dial

Published: March 21, 2013

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 240

Synopsis:

With frizzy orange hair, a plus-sized body, sarcastic demeanor, and "unique learning profile," Danielle Levine doesn't fit in even at her alternative high school. While navigating her doomed social life, she writes scathing, self-aware, and sometimes downright raunchy essays for English class. As a result of her unfiltered writing style, she is forced to see the school psychologist and enroll in a "social skills" class. But when she meets Daniel, another social misfit who is obsessed with the cult classic film The Big Lebowski, Danielle's resolve to keep everyone at arm's length starts to crumble.

Seventeen-year-old Danielle Levine is your typical high school teen-ager – if you count having OCD and ADHD as typical. Danielle’s “special” conditions lead her to a school for students with learning disabilities, and, even here, she struggles to fit in.

How Danielle navigates her status as a “learning-challenged” teen pariah is told, with equal parts pain and hilarity, in Lauren Roedy Vaughn’s debut Young Adult novel, OCD, THE DUDE, AND ME, which Kirkus Review has hailed as a “must-read.”

Told through a mélange of Danielle’s class assignments, journal entries, emails, texts, and letters to the school psychiatrist, OCD, THE DUDE, AND ME chronicles Danielle’s efforts to fit into a world that, to her, can be as alien as a distant planet. Yet, Danielle will be recognizable to her readers, with her body-image issues, her crush on an unattainable boy, and her feelings of insecurity over the rigid social code of high school life.

Just as things seemingly couldn’t get worse for her, Danielle meets a new friend, Daniel, who turns her on to the Coen Brothers’ classic cult film THE BIG LEBOWSKI and its indelible main character, the ever-cool, ever abiding Dude. Daniel and Danielle end up going to the prom together and to Lebowski Fest, an annual event celebrating the Dude and his Buddha-like philosophy, which says that things will work out if you “abide.”

Purchase your copy online:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND | BOOKPASSAGE

Character Guest Post

From inside Danielle Levine’s OCD brain

I’m sitting at dinner with my mom and dad and staring down at my thighs. They take up way too much space on the chair. I’m trying to mentally suck in my thighs. My mom’s thighs only take up a fraction of space on the newly upholstered dining room chairs; her thighs are as lovely as the chairs. Not so much mine.
I’m currently worried that the mash potatoes I’m eating will travel straight down to my thighs and burst open the seams of my jeans. I know that’s impossible, but I can’t stop myself from thinking about it. These are the kinds of thoughts I have during dinner. This is just how my mind works.I put the cloth napkin over my thighs so a huge portion of their real estate is hidden from view. Okay, Danielle, stop thinking about your thighs. Force yourself to have some other thoughts.
Good thoughts I force myself to have during dinner:
1.      I’m on page 226 of Pride and Prejudice. I’m rereading it for the fourth time. Very satisfying.

2.      If my thighs don’t explode during dinner, maybe I can watch a Jake Gyllenhaal movie before bed. Awesome.

3.      Aunt Joyce is coming over this weekend. Fabulous. She’s taking me to a see theRestoration comedy that she designed the costumes for. Can’t wait.

4.      I hope she can snag me a dress and a few hats after the run of the show.

5.      Will try on all my hats after dinner.

6.      Had to have a sixth thought because I don’t like to end on odd numbers.


I’m uber glad people can’t hear my thoughts. They would think I’m as nuts as I know I am. That reminds me that I better check the lock on my me-moir binder. All my writing, all my thoughts, all my emails and secret journals live there, and I can’t remember if I locked it.
           “Mom, may I be excused?”
           “You just sat down to dinner.”
           “I’m not that hungry and I’m protecting my thighs.”
           “Finish your dinner and then you can be excused. Your thighs are perfectly fine.”
           Sometimes my mom is clueless.

Connect With Lauren Roedy Vaughn:

Ms. Vaughn is especially equipped to write Danielle’s story. She has been a special education teacher and a writer for nearly 20 years. In 2005, she received the Walk of Hearts Teaching Award, and she serves on the Board of the International Dyslexia Association’s Los Angeles Branch. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, when she was in elementary school. She came to California for college, met her husband at the University of California, Irvine, and they have lived in Southern California ever since. Together, they share a love of The Big Lebowski. When not teaching, reading, or writing, Lauren is usually on a yoga mat.

Her latest book is the contemporary humorous young adult fiction, OCD, the Dude & Me.

You can visit Lauren Roedy Vaughn’s website at www.laurenroedyvaughn.com

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | BLOG

Review: A Part to Play

Title: A Part to Play

Series:  N/A

Author: Jennifer L. Fry

Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press

Published: August 10, 2012 

Genre: Young Adult

Format: Kindle

Pages: 261

Source: Received from author

Read: February 27-March 3, 2013

In A Few Words: Intriguing at first, but then loses momentum
My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add To Your TBR Shelf

Synopsis:

When fifteen-year-old actress Lucy Carter loses her older sister in a car accident, her mother shuts down and her father can’t hold the family together. Their only choice is to ship Lucy off to the Edmond School for Performing Arts. But boarding school is no cure for Lucy’s grief. With failing grades, wooden stage performances, and curfew violations, Lucy is threatened with expulsion. For the once talented Lucy, it feels as though she has nowhere to turn.

One night, Lucy hears mysterious music drifting through the school’s old heating system. The music leads her to a troubled but passionate songwriter whose brilliance gives her the strength to perform like never before. Yet their intense relationship puts Lucy in a precarious position: if she follows her muse, will she lose herself? And if she breaks it off, can she stand on her own again?

Melissa's Musings:

This story started out a bit stiff, though the opening paragraph, comparing a storm to Lucy's mood was enough to draw me in. 

I did feel that the backstory was somewhat lacking. There are only brief snippets of explanation of Kate's accident and then Lucy ends up shuttled off by her parents to a music/drama boaridng school. I felt that there could have been a little more buildup here, maybe in the form of more flashbacks to life before the accident and right after, that would have helped to build the setup for her parents sending her away, that would have helped facilitate the transition. Without it, it just seems harsh and stilted, and the end doesn't seem quite as well rounded in terms of Lucy's relationship with her parents as it could have been.

In the beginning, Lucy's character is almost completely unfeeling. That in itself is fine, given the situation, but I was surprised with the fact that there was no real challenge to her behavior from her teacher's or her friends, until she gets in major trouble for sneaking out. 

While Isa's lack of pressure was concerning to the overall story, her easygoing nature was one of the things I loved about her the most. That and her semi-rebellious nature and her fiesty attitude. Isa's character had an edge to her that's quite likeable.  

I actually felt more connected to the secondary characters in the story than I did to Lucy. The secondary characters felt more fleshed out, and seemed to have more of a consistency to them. After a while Lucy's character just seemed to be inconsistent. She felt like she was running hot and cold. One second she was pissed off about her situation and angry at her parents, and the next she was thrown in to her romance with Chris and everything else became secondary to her including her friends. That bothered me because for someone who feels like they've been abandoned you'd think that she would understand and not put so much of her time into a relationship with a guy. And she does try to balance her friends and Chris, I will give Lucy that.

Chris makes things very difficult for her with his personality. As I was reading I became more and more put off by him. I found myself saying things like "what an asshole". while reading, that's how negative his character is. He has mood swings that to me bordered on being bipolar and a very controlling nature.  He started out all nice and sweet and things get progressively darker from there. I won't give away what happens between them, but lets just say there's a nice bit of growth on the part of one of the characters.

As for the story itself, I have to admit it was a lot more interesting in the beginning when Chris's character was a mystery man, possibly a ghost seranading Lucy with his music at night. I really liked the story up until the point of his introduction, but once Chris's character comes in, the story loses some of its' momentum, and it seems to become more about the trials and tribulations of dating than about Lucy coming to terms with her own demons and making her peace, which is what I felt was really at the heart of the story. The ending feels rushed and too wrapped up, which I feel conflicted about.

The reason I feel conflicted about the ending is because the author gives us a glimpse of Lucy's life after the end of her sophmore year. Most of the time, I love when an author gives us tiny glimpses like this. But in this case, it just doesn't feel right. It feels like it's wrapped up a little too neatly with the perfect happy ending. Especially the situation with Lucy's mom. They go from not talking at all, to one or two phone calls, to her being at Lucy's play, showering her with compliments. It felt like Lucy's mom got off too easily, the resolution wasn't quite as significant as it could have been.

Overall, this is a well thought out story, and the twist of having Lucy be sent away after the death of her sister is certainly a unique one in the subset of books that deal with family tragedy.

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer

Title: Between the Lines

Author:  Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Publisher:  Simon Pulse

Published: June 26, 2012

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 358 pages

Source: Library

Read: October 22-26, 2012

In  A Few Words: Sweet, creative story

My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads: Add this book to your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.

Melissa's Musings:

As some of you may know, I'm a big Jodi Picoult fan. I have read several of her books. This one was a lot different than her usual fare, and we have her daughter to thank for that. 

Instead of court battles and medical and family dramas, we're presented with a modern day fairy tale of sorts. Delilah and Oliver are both kids who've grown up without their dads, and that's part of the reason why she's so drawn to this fairy tale. She feels that she can relate to Oliver through that shared fact.

That's what we all look for in books, I think. We're constantly looking for ways to relate to the characters. There are certain characters that we like over others, because we feel a sort of kinship with them through shared experiences. You know how people are always talking about having book boyfriends/girlfriends? I think the opposite is true here. It's almost like Oliver has fallen in love with Delilah, so he has a  "reader girlfriend"

It's very sweet to see how much he cares for her, and all the different lengths that he's willing to go through to be with her. At one point in the story, Oliver writes Delilah into his world. While she does enjoy being with him, she learns an important lesson when she realizes just how much she misses her mom: You never know what you've got til it's gone. 

There are also more interesting methods of integration of life lessons into the story. For example, Socks, Olivers' trusty steed in the fairy tale seems to have body image issues, always thinking that he's fat or talking about low hay carb diets. It was a very unique way of incorporating real life issues into a story.

One thing I didn't really care for was that some of the details were very exaggerated, like the fact that in the beginning of the story Oliver claims to have spent his days learning 17 languages. A few languages, I would have believed, but 17 is just too many, even for a fairy tale character.

I enjoyed all the little details put into this book like the small drawings on the pages, and the different color fonts to differentiate between characters in the story. I haven't read any stories written by multiple authors in a while, so it was nice to read this story. In the introduction it's noted that they took turns writing lines, but I wonder just how much of Van Leer's contributions were polished by Picoult and/or editors.

Overall, I would recommend this story to anyone who's looking for a nice read, and of course to all Jodi Picoult fans.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Publisher: Dutton Books

Published: January 10, 2012

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 318

Source: Library

Read: November 20, 2012

In A Few Words : Powerful

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads: Add This To Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Melissa's Musings:

This is my first John Green book. I checked out An Abundance of Katherines once, but it got lost in the stack of library books and had to be returned before I could read it. Now that I've read The Fault in Our Stars, I want to gobble up the rest of Green's books as fast as I can if they're all as powerful as this one.

I've been seeing reviews of this book around the blogosphere for months now. Nearly all of the reviews have raved about it, so I was the tiniest bit skeptical that it would live up to all the hype, but it definitely did.

The Author's Note for this book is one of the more interesting ones I've seen.

"This is not so much an author's note as an author's reminder of what was printed in small type a few pages ago: This book is a work of fiction. I made it up.

                Neither novels or their readers benefit from attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea that made-up stories can matter, which is sort of the foundational assumption of our species.
                  I appreciate your cooperation in this matter."

When I first read this I thought it was strange that he would point this out. But, as the story goes on, I see why he did. I'm not sure that I fully agree with this point, though. Simply because I'm always wondering what an author's motivation is for writing a story they way they do and whether there are any hidden facts inside stories. As the saying goes, "Write what you know" so in many cases some of these stories must contain hidden facts. I don't, however, think that these efforts, should any reader choose to pursue them, attack the idea that made up stories can matter. If I did, I doubt I would have been nearly as attached an emotionally invested in this book as I was.

This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, so be prepared. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you may even laugh while crying, like I did. This book packs a serious punch.

Hazel is such a great character. She's sharp, witty, philosophical, and yet still teenagery at times, as her mother puts it. Hazel might seem bitter or cynical about her diagnosis to some, but I took it more as realistic than anything. Her voice in the story is real. It's natural and the dialogue, especially her internal monologues, flow so smoothly.

Some of Hazel's quotes are deep. I know this one has probably been quoted a million times, but it really speaks volumes about the story and about how Hazel feels.

"I'm like. Like. I'm like a grenade, Mom. I'm a grenade and at some point I'm going to blow up and I would like to minimize the casualties, okay?"... "I'm a grenade" I said again. "I just want to stay away from people and read books and think and be with you guys because there's nothing I can do about hurting you; you're too invested, so just please let me do that, okay? I'm not depressed. I don't need to get out more. And I can't be a regular teenager, because I'm a grenade." (Green, 99)

This quote speaks volumes about how it must feel to live with cancer. I couldn't imagine it. And when I read this, I felt like I'd been punched. Hazel is realistic about her diagnosis. She doesn't like it of course, but she seems to have reached a place of acceptance.

And then there's Augustus. The oh so cute boy who happens to walk into the support group that Hazel and Issac attend. And he's interested in her.

I loved Augustus' character. He was the perfect mix of sweetheart and bad boy. I also love the touch of him having an unlit cigarette in his mouth all the time, and the reason for not lighting it. You'll have to read it to see what I mean. Augustus always knows just what to say. And I love how he calls Hazel "Hazel Grace" I don't know exactly why I love this so much, but I do. Their romance is solid, steady, and real. 

A quote of his that I really loved:

"I'm in love with you," he said quietly.

"Augustus," I said.

"I am," he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you. 

 (Green, 153)

Isn't that just perfect?

I also love that Hazel and Augustus bond over books. Hazels' love of a book called An Imperial Affliction. Though they do bond over the book (and much more) it's their experiences surrounding it that have taught me never to put authors I love on quite as high a pedestal because you never know what may happen to change that rose colored view of them.

There's so much more that I could say about this book. But it really is one of those books that you just have to experience for yourself. It's an amazing story that deals with so many important ideas and themes, that are not only important to teens but to adults as well.

This has definitely become my new favorite book of 2012 and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a powerful, moving story.

Review: Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite *Contains Some Spoilers*

Title: Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite

Author: Lianne Simon

Publisher: Faie Miss Press

Published: September 18, 2012

Format: Kindle

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 232  pages

Source: Received from the author

 in exchange for an honest review

Read: January 2-3, 2013

In A Few Words: Interesting take on a difficult subject

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads:  Add This to Your TBR List

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the heart of an intersex teen, one who must ultimately choose male or female—family or true love—comes the story of a deeply emotional and perilous journey home. This is a young adult novel unlike any other—an authentic portrayal of the issues faced by a child growing up with a sexually ambiguous body.

Jameson can be like other boys after minor surgery and a few years on testosterone Well, at least that’s what his parents always say. But Jamie sees an elfin princess in the mirror, and male hormones would only ruin her pretty face. For him to become the man his parents expect, Jameson must leave behind the hopes and dreams of a little girl. But what is so wrong with Jamie’s dreams that they can’t be her life?

Melissa's Musings:

The topic of a person being intersex is a very difficult one to breach as it is a sensitive topic in general. The author does a good job of discussing intersexuality in a mostly neutral way, although Jamie/Jameson's parents clearly want her to be something she's not, and it's obvious that they have issues with her condition. 

They raised her as a girl until she was 9, then moved, cut her hair and tried to raise Jamie as a boy named Jameson. From what I understand, they were told that it would be easier to raise Jamie as a boy, so that's what they decided to do. Also, they were raising Jamie without any doctor supervision for her condition, which seemed really odd.

I feel like a lot of the background is missing, and should have been structured differently. For one thing, Jamie's parents reactions to situations are really harsh. And you don't know their true feelings about when they first found out about Jamie's condition. I think that explaining those feelings would have set the reader up to better understand why Jamie's parents treat her the way they do. 

You also  find out that Jamie was born with one ovary and one testis. Then about halfway through the book, you find out that these were both removed because Jamie had cancer at one point. It seemed odd to just throw that in there and wasn't necessary to move the story forward.

There are some nice quotes about not being able to change who you are, that I found really positive.

The struggle that Jamie goes through with herself and who she wants to be is significant, and can be confusing at times. It was almost like Jamie had multiple personality disorder. There's Jameson, her boy "self" who she pretends to be for her father. Then there's Jamie, which is who she truly wants to be. Then, there's also her sort of third "personality" if you will, "The Elfin Princess". What made me think of Jamie having MPD is the fact that she talks about compartmentalizing Jameson, taking him apart and putting him away. Then she also talks to The Elfin Princess in the mirror, often. It would have been clearer to just have Jamie describing experiences as Jamie and her experiences as Jameson. The Elfin Princess adds an odd element to the story.

There are also a lot of elements in this book that felt somewhat forced. The first being the blatant Christianity. It isn't brought up in a natural manner, and seems to be thrown into almost all of the significant events, which I found unnecessary and distracting.

There's also the fact that several people are just  "okay" with Jamie being a girl. I don't have a problem with that at all personally, I wish more people would be open-minded like these characters. It's just that structurally it seemed like the author went to the two extremes in this respect. On the one hand, Jamie's parents have such a problem with her condition and who she wants to be, to the point that they control and manipulate her. On the other hand, there are several people who just accept her without so much as a word. There wasn't enough conflict to keep things progressing toward the resolution, so it wasn't as significant as it could have been.

There's also a "secret society" of people from the same university that Jamie attends who all have different gender disorders. While the thought of it was nice because it gave Jamie people to talk to, it's completely unrealistic. The fact that these 4 other girls all just happen to go to the same school and somehow found their way to each other just doesn't seem likely at all.

As a character, Jamie isn't very strong. She's easily influenced and manipulated, so it was somewhat hard to connect with her. She also says "you know" at the end of her sentences a lot, to the point where it is irritating. And these were things that were already stated, or implied, so it almost felt condescending. It was things like, "I'm not a boy, you know,"  "We've only kissed, you know"

Overall, the story itself is in need of a little more setup, but I think that for a subject as difficult to write about as this one can be, the author did a nice job.

Guest Post: Faye from A Daydreamer's Thoughts talks YA

Hey Guys!

Today I'd like to share a guest post with you, written by the lovely Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts  She's an awesome blogger and person! She's also up for a paid blogging gig, so after you take a look at her post on YA books, go ahead and watch her video and share it. Team Faye Rocks!

Four in the Morning by Christi Goddard

Title: Four in the Morning

Author: Christi Goddard

Publisher:  Immortal Ink Publishing

Published:May 2012

Format: E-book

Pages: 202 pages

Source: Received in exchange for

an honest review

Read: November 26

In A Few Words: Surprising

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads: Add This to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kathleen Hayson thinks her biggest problem is her mother. The only runner up—her mouth. With a wit sharper than her mother's perfectly manicured nails, her clever remarks create more problems than they solve.

But it's not her clever remarks landing her knee-deep in trouble. This time, Josh Colby is to blame. Kathleen's former childhood friend has become the school's most stuck up jerk. Before, she'd have told him to piss off and write his own stupid letter to the town slut/minister's daughter. Now Kathleen's escalating problems at home force her to reevaluate how flexible her principles are. She agrees to write the controversial letter Josh has requested.

Enter Rigel, a smartass magical creature who invades her room one night, promising he has come to help. When a boy Kathleen hates turns up dead and her mother goes missing, the letter becomes a key piece of police evidence—implicating Kathleen. As she fights her way out of a web of lies, the trust she has in those closest to her shatters. In the end, she's pushed to a terrible choice: who lives, and who else dies.

*also available in print*

Melissa's Musings:

Let me start off by saying, I finished this book and the first thought that popped into my mind was "What the fuck?" Excuse the swearing but that really was the first thought I had. The last portion of the book is just so strange, so that phrase fits perfectly. 

The story does a good job of pulling you in immediately. Kathleen is a tough character full of sharp wit and snark, which I really liked. Kathleen sure as hell needed it to put up with her mother. This kind of character profile  can be hard to pull off at times, but Goddard does a great job of making her likeable. Her character profile is really well done and it's easy to relate to her. 

Kathleen and her mother have a lot of problems. For as likeable a character that Kathleen is, her mother is ten times as unlikeable. I kept finding myself thinking, "Wow, her mother is such a bitch." I haven't said that about a character in a while. Here's just one quote as an example of how awful Kathleen's mother is to her:

"No boyfriend still?" Mom said. "Not that I'm surprised. Boys tend to give flowers when they want something. Or already got something. Payment for services rendered, perhaps?"

"Yeah, 'cause I'm a big fat ho."I grabbed a vase off one of the shelves in the curio and headed upstairs, stomping the whole way just to hear my footsteps reverberate through the house."

Goddard, Kindle location 725.

That's just one of the choice interactions between Kathleen and her mother. There are a few others that are equally as bad if not worse. You do end up finding out why their relationship is so sour, but I won't spoil the whole reason for it. Part of the reason is that Kathleen's mother is psychotic. She holds a grudge towards Kathleen and takes it out on her in unusual ways, such as punishing her for not eating a dinner of eggplant by making her take a cold bath with the eggplant in it.

In addition to a psychotic mother, Kathleen has a virtually non existent sister and father, a cryptic best friend, a bully who likes to torment her and another boy who is interested in her but won't really tell her that. Add to that a talking skunk with a British accent, who's something else entirely more creepy altogether, a couple of crimes and  you have an odd paranormal mystery type story on your hands.

This was the first time I'd read about a talking skunk in any stories, and he is definitely an odd character. You'll see what I mean when you read this.

There is quite the balance of moments that will make you laugh out loud, as well as those that will have you shaking your head saying "WTF?"

This is definitely different than anything I've read lately and I'm curious to see what will come next from Goddard. If I had one thought or piece of advice to offer I'd say, "Remember that things and people are not always what they seem." The crazy turns of events will definitely keep you on your toes.

The only thing I was confused about was the title. I might have missed the clue on this one and not been reading carefully enough, but I'm just not sure what the significance of the title is.

Has anyone else read this? If so what did you think?

Henrietta The Dragon Slayer by Beth Barany

Title:  Henrietta The Dragon Slayer

Author: Beth Barany

Publisher:  Firewolf Books

Published: June 7, 2011

Format: Kindle

Pages: 236

Source: Received from the author 

in exchange for an honest review

Read: November 15-18, 2012

In A Few Words: Adventurous

My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads: Add This Book to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

**Grand Prize Winner of the 2012 California Book Fiction Challenge

Henrietta, the legendary Dragon Slayer of the Kingdom of Bleuve, can't stomach the thought of one more kill. Yet, in order to save her dying mentor, she must go on one last quest. But will misfit companions, seasickness, and an ego maniacal king derail the quest for the healing stone? And will she be able to cut past her conscience and kill the dragon?

Melissa's Musings:

Henrietta is a very private, solitary person. So she isn't too happy when she has to go on a quest to save her dying mentor and suddenly she has this very unique group of people tagging along. She thinks they'll just get in her way. And, some of the time, they do. But over time, she learns to love them all, in her own way. She opens up bit by bit and lets them in to her heart.

Henrietta is a very snarky, sarcastic character, which I enjoyed. She reminds me of the way that I wish I could be, if I weren't worried about what other people would think of me. She says what she thinks and doesn't spare feelings. Sometimes this really isn't appropriate, like the time she thinks that Paulette should snap out of it after losing her family. But a lot of the time Henrietta's manner is direct and to the point. I think this is what keeps the story moving along nicely. Henrietta is all about action and moving along, so this story rarely drags, if at all.

The magical touches are also really well done in the book. They're subtle and not overly flashy. It's just the right balance to keep you interested but not too much as to make you want to cringe. Since I'm really partial to characters who are witches, I would really like to see a spin off book with more of Paulette's story. Paulette, as a character does really well to bring out Henrietta's softer, more nurturing side. Plus Paulette has a bit of fire to her, literally and figuratively, so her character holds up really well on its' own.

It's nice to watch the growth of character on both Henrietta and Paulette's parts. Henrietta helps Paulette become more mature and causes her to think before she acts a little bit more. Paulette shows Henrietta that it's okay to care for people and to let them in.

There's also a tiny bit of a romance in the book between Henrietta and Franc. Definitely not insta-love which I appreciate. Their relationship really doesn't develop romantically until toward the end of the book so you're left wondering what will happen to them.

This is a standalone book but I think that it could work as a series as well. 

I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes adventures with a strong female character and magic.

34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues is an Intense Read

Title: 34 Pieces of You

Author: Carmen Rodrigues

Publisher:  Simon Pulse

Published:   September 4, 2012

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 336

Source: Sent to me by the author 

Read: September 22, 2012

In  A Few Words: Intense, and powerful

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads: Add This to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

A dark and moving novel—reminiscent of Thirteen Reasons Why—about the mystery surrounding a teenage girl’s fatal overdose.

There was something about Ellie... Something dangerous. Charismatic. Broken. Jake looked out for her. Sarah followed her lead. And Jess kept her distance, and kept watch.

Now Ellie’s dead, and Jake, Sarah, and Jess are left to pick up the pieces. All they have are 34 clues she left behind. 34 strips of paper hidden in a box beneath her bed. 34 secrets of a brief and painful life.

Jake, Sarah, and Jess all feel responsible for what happened to Ellie, and all three have secrets of their own. As they begin to confront the darkest truths about themselves, they will also find out what Ellie herself had been hiding all along..

Melissa's Musings:

All I can say is wow. This book is intense, to say the least.

It touches on so many different issues. In some books, this might be a bad thing, meaning that there's not enough focus and it feels a little aimless, or just like a laundry list of issues to spout off. That's not the case here. While there are lot of issues mentioned within the first chapter or two,  it's done in a natural way, so that you don't get bogged down in them.

This book touches on everything from divorce, to drinking, to sexuality, to sexual abuse, and several other complex issues. 

It's a very hard book to put down because you get so drawn in, so fast. Or at least I did. And the characters are all so interconnected, in ways that you wouldn't even think of. Ellie is the magnet, the one that draws them all in. To her, and to each other. I think that Ellie enjoyed that, in a way that it gave her power. But, at the same time she was hurting and lost and lonely, even surrounded by all these people that it was just too much for her. 

In reading it you might say that Sarah was affected the most, because she attempted suicide with Ellie, but survived, so the survivors guilt must be horrible. Which, I'm sure it is a horrible thing. But, I wouldn't necessarily say that she was the one who suffered the most. I think they all did, in their own way, each equally painful and significant.

I felt the most for Tommy and Jess, because they were the ones who had plenty of secrets of their own to hide, and they were with people who didn't necessarily openly want to be with them, or who were lusting after other people. I'm not mentioning other names because I don't want to give away major plot points or spoilers. Lets just say that when you read it you might be surprised at just how interconnected they all are with each other and some relationships develop that you might not expect,  that you'll be rooting for.

The evolution of the characters is intense, as these painful events draw out memories that they want to forget. The evolution of all the characters is significant in it's own way, even the more minor characters like Jake and Ellie's parents. It was good to see the book from both the kids and the adults perspective, which can be rare for YA books. Usually the parents are distant, or not around at all, and in this case, while they were not the major characters, they played more of a significant part in the story.

I also really liked the way that the story was set up, structurally. Each of the chapters was told from a different character's point of view. But, prefacing each of the chapters was one of Ellie's 34 secrets that she kept in a box under her bed. They were secrets about all of them, what she really felt. And each one set up the coming chapter perfectly. I also like how the chapters are titled either "Before" or "After" because I think that's a mindset that many people can get into when a loved one dies. There's life before it happens, and then life after.

I am very glad that I got the opportunity to read this book and I can't wait to see what comes next from Carmen Rodrigues. If you're looking for something to make you think, this is it.

Have you read this? If so, what did you think?

Catalyst: The Passage of Hellsfire by Marc Johnson

Title: Catalyst (The Passage of Hellsfire #1)

Author: Marc Johnson 

Publisher: Longshot Publishing

Published: March 19. 2011

Format: E-book/Kindle

Pages: 295

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: November 4-7 2012

In  A Few Words: Action packed

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add This Book to Your TBR Shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

For centuries, the kingdom of Alexandria has protected Northern Shala from the monstrous creatures lurking in the Wastelands. Now, a dark force threatens that fragile peace.

Far from home, Alexandria’s princess is abducted. When a young villager named Hellsfire stumbles upon her and her captors, he rushes in to rescue her, alone and unarmed. His fear and fury unleash an uncontrollable magical force that grants him the power to save the princess—and change the world.

Hellsfire has never craved nor dreamed of power. But such magic as he now possesses has not been seen in Northern Shala for a thousand years, since the devastation of the War of the Wizards and the creation of the Wastelands.

Now Hellsfire must leave all he’s ever known, and make a dangerous journey to learn to master this wild, ferocious power—power he knows he is not ready to wield. More difficult still, he needs to master his emotions. If he can’t, the power will consume him, Alexandria will fall, and darkness will eclipse the land, destroying everyone he loves.

In the dead of cold, the spark shall burn...

Melissa's Musings:

I must admit that I don't often read a lot of fantasy novels so I was a little hesitant to give it a try. 

The story starts out with Hellsfires' birth and the prophecy that he will do great things. There isn't a great deal of backstory given about his family or this prophecy, which I found to be disappointing. Then he comes into his powers, and his mother sends him on a journey to seek out the "angel" that prophecied his great skills. This angel is really a wizard named Stradus.

The good thing about this story is that there is a lot of action. Each chapter begins with a string of action and it's very consistent throughout. There are a few spots where the book drags on, but it usually picks up again within a few pages.

One thing I didn't care for was the main characters' name, Hellsfire. It felt very cliche to me, especially since his power and control laid in fire. I think it could have been something different. Or, if continuing down the unusual name route, the character shouldn't have named his love interest Krystal, since that isn't quite as unusual as the other characters like Sharald, King Furlong, and Stradus.

My favorite character was actually Cynder, the dragon. He kept the story light and filled with banter exchanges between himself and Hellsfire which I really enjoyed.

There are some inconsistencies and minor details that bothered me as I was reading. In one scene in the beginning of the story Hellsfire ends up burning a bully, Nathan, who has constantly teased him. Hellsfire then tells himself that he doesn't want to be around others for fear he might hurt them. And yet, right on the next page, he ends up traveling with a family. There are also several spots where Stradus, Hellsfire's teacher, says that there is much Hellsfire needs to know, but he can't tell him. These exchanges were infuriating because there were more than a few, and I felt that in leaving Hellsfire in the dark just seemed pointless. Stradus' job is to teach him, yet he's clearly keeping things from him? Doesn't quite make sense to me. Unfortunately there's not much light shed on his prophecy in this book, but maybe that will be fixed in the next book.

There is a lot of explanation of different kinds of mana and magic, so people who enjoy these themes will like that element. The addition of mana and the potions sort of made this book feel like an old adventure video game. There are also elves and dwarves with their own brands of magic as well.

Overall this is an enjoyable story, even with it's rough spots.

Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft is Awesome

Title: Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft (Audrey's Guides #1)

Author: Jody Gehrman

Publisher: Magic Genie Books

Published: June 30 2012

Format: E-book/Kindle

Pages: 306

Source: Received from the author

in exchange for an honest review

Read: September 9-14 2012

In A Few Words:  Vivid, colorful, sensory experience

My Rating: 5  stars!

Goodreads:   Add this to your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Falling in Love, baking a magical cake, fighting an evil necromancer—it’s all in a day’s work for Audrey Oliver, seventeen-year-old witch-in-training. When her mother goes missing and her twenty-one-year-old witchy cousin shows up out of the blue, Audrey knows something’s gone horribly, dangerously wrong. Now it’s up to her to get her own magical powers up to speed before everyone she loves is destroyed by the sorcerer intricately connected to her mother’s secret past.

Melissa's Musings:

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was already a highly anticipated read on my list, so when Jody contacted me about reviewing it, I immediately said yes. I'm so glad I did! This book combines two of my favorite subjects to read about, witches and baking. 

Audrey is a regular girl, who has a bit of a self esteem issue (what high schoolers don't??) Her sister is the social butterfly, who always attracts all the guys. As a result, Audrey is a little down on herself, and has lower self esteem. But not when it comes to her friends. Audrey is fiercely loyal and protective of her best friend Bridget, who is teased by the queen bee of the school Dallas. I loved reading the interactions between Audrey and Dallas because I envied the boldness that Audrey had when fighting with her.  I wish that I could have stuck up for myself the way that Audrey sticks up for Bridget. The friendship between these two characters is real and fun. I love how Bridget is always coining new words and phrases. And Audrey is sarcastic at times.

I also like Audrey because she loves to bake, and she's good at it. Baking is something that I've begun doing in the last couple of years and I really love it, so it was a point that I could really identify with her on. Especially since she makes her own alterations/ additions to recipes, I do that all the time.

The romance between her and Julian is really nice. It's not insta-love, but there's a real connection between them which is quite obvious and almost literal. I don't want to give too much away, so lets just say that it's electric. The great thing about the dynamic between Julian and Audrey is that he knows that there's something going on with her, but he doesn't push, and he's not weirded out by the strange things that happen to her. He forces her (in a good way) to be as honest as she can with him, and he accepts that there are things she's not able to tell him (specifically about her magic) They even come up with a code word for when she can't tell him something, which is cute. I really appreciated the fact that Audrey's magic was dealt with directly by Julian.

"Try looking at it from my point of view, though, Audrey. I really like you. Am I going to get totally hammered here because your life is complicated and you can’t explain just how complicated? Am I always going to be an outsider looking in?"

Jody Gehrman. Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft (Kindle Locations 4027-4028). Jody Gehrman. 

A lot of times in books about witchcraft when there's a witch and a mortal involved, there's a lot of lying to cover up the fact of the magic, and it's never really addressed by the character who's having things kept from them. The fact that Julian brings it up is a really nice change from the usual here.

In the same token, there are a few classic lines that you see often in books about witchcraft too, like "Sometimes we have to risk one, for the good of the many." All in all, it's a good mix of classic and modern elements.

One thing that grated on me a little bit was the dialogue. At times it was okay, but then at other times it got totally "teenager" maybe by a bit too much. But, the fact that Bridget coined her own terms made up for this.

One really amazing thing about this book is that it's so descriptive, and involves your other senses too, making it easier to imagine the scenes. There's amazing use of color in this book. I don't know why, but when authors write vivid, descriptive scenes with colors, they always stick out as I'm reading. There are so many here, it's wonderful. Uses of color happen every few pages. You might think that it would get old, but it doesn't. The author doesn't repeat color sequences, and it's not just "oh his eyes are blue" kind of stuff. Here are a couple sections where she talks about color that really stuck out.

The sun had set, but enough light remained to stain the splotchy clouds a beautiful orange, as if a neon tangerine had been smeared across the sky carelessly.

Jody Gehrman. Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft (Kindle Locations 2405-2406). Jody Gehrman. 

I felt my skull bust open like a magnolia on speed. Colors raced inside my body—a riot of blues, purples, greens, reds and golds—all of them ricocheting off one another before gushing through the fresh opening in my head. I felt like a kaleidoscope heated up until it explodes, sending a thousand glowing shards of color spinning wildly into the air.

Jody Gehrman. Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft (Kindle Locations 2226-2228). Jody Gehrman. 

Those are just a few examples but there are lots more in the book. In addition to the colors, I like how Gerhman incorporated smell into the story too. Audrey and Sadie's magic each has it's own specific scent. The dark magic has a stench, and it's easy to imagine from the descriptive reactions that Audrey has to it. One of the battles is particularly gruesome because of Gerhman's ability to set the scenes with such vivid imagery. It definitely had me cringing.

Both Bridget and Audrey really grow into their own, which is really nice. There's one sticking point with this for me though. You can see Bridget's growth (I won't say how) in some of her actions toward the end of the book, but the impact is lessened somewhat as Audrey explains the meaning behind the actions to Sadie. It would have been more powerfully shown if there hadn't been additional explanation.

Overall, this is an absolutely amazing book, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves books about witchcraft. A little heads up for Harry Potter fans, there is an HP reference! I can't wait to see what happens next in this series.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Title: Breaking Dawn 

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Published: August 2, 2008

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 756 

Source: Library

Read: September 2-4 2012

In A Few Words: Fell Flat

My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads: Add this to your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

WHEN YOU LOVED THE ONE WHO WAS KILLING YOU, IT LEFT YOU NO OPTIONS. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to a werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fate of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life - first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse - seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed...forever?

The astonishing, breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.

Melissa's Musings:

There's not much I can say that hasn't  already been said about Breaking Dawn, so this review will be short and sweet. I'm so late on the Twilight train, having only started the series last year. I enjoyed the first few books in the series much more than I enjoyed this one.

The story just seemed to fall flat for me. It was more teenage angst, with the dialogue to go with it. For some reason the dialogue in Breaking Dawn seemed a lot more immature than it did in the other books. After the 4th or 5th time I read Jacob saying "'kay" I was more than a little irritated.

Plus the whole love triangle between Edward just seemed ridiculous, especially after Bella was pregnant and still breaking into a smile and wanting him to be around all the time. Of course, that made more sense when Renesmee came along, but even that whole dynamic was weird. He can't have Bella so he imprints on her daughter instead? Certainly a dysfunctional family unit if there ever was one.

I have to say that I was glad to see that Bella finally grew a little bit as a character. She was less whiny, and more decisive in Breaking Dawn. More than likely that's because of Renesmee, becoming a mom was a big change for her, both literally and figuratively.

I was actually most captivated by Renesmee, just like everyone around her. She seemed so interesting, so unique. Meyer definitely did a good job bringing her character to life and making her likeable. (Minus the whole being soulmates with Jacob thing.)

In the end, I think I was expecting a different outcome. While I liked the story, it all wrapped up a little too neatly for me.

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Demonglass (Hex Hall #2)

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

Published: March 22 2011

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 359

Source: Library

Read: September 15-16 2012

In A Few Words: 

My Rating: 5 Stars

Goodreads: Add this to your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

Melissa's Musings:

A few days ago, I posted my review of Hex Hall. Let me just say that Demonglass is just as good. I was so involved in the story that I didn't quite see all the twists and turns that come up in this book, so I was nicely surprised there.

There is a love triangle, but to be honest I really kind of enjoy this one. I know that I've said in the past that some love triangles are horrible, but this one is really well done. The dynamics that Sophie has with each of the guys are really different, so they're easy to differentiate, and she really has different feelings for each one. It's kind of a forced love triangle in a way since Cal is betrothed to her, but it still works well. I feel for Cal, he's so nice and it's clear that he cares for her a lot, so it's a shame that she doesn't feel the same way. Although judging by some actions toward the end of the book this may change, it'll be interesting to see what happens between them in the next book.

There's a lot of action in this book, and a lot more magic and spells. A lot more dark magic, of course, now that Sophie knows she's a demon. There's cool teleportation, Sophie's bound to a ghost, people are trying to kill her, it really is jam packed. But, the laugh out loud humor is still there, which is awesome. I loved it in the last book and I loved it in this one too.

The progression of the relationship between Sophie and her father is really great to watch too. At first, she's unsure, and doesn't trust him. I wouldn't either, if he'd been gone from my life for 17 years. But then as she starts to trust him a little more, she grows to care for him. It's clear that she wants to make him proud, and that she recognizes that he has a lot that he can teach her. 

The story leaves you wanting so much more. I don't want to put in any spoilers but let me just say that I'm so disappointed that my library doesn't have the third book, I'll have to get it ASAP so that I can find out what happens.

Author Interview with Andi Katsina Plus Giveaway!

Hey everyone!

Today I'm happy to be bringing you an interview with Andi Katsina, author of "Rick & Wylie's Fantastical, Magical Adventures (Journey to the Kingdom.) I will be reviewing this book in the near future. But for now, lets meet Andi and get to know a little more about her book! On to the interview:



When did you first want to be a writer? What was your 'Aha" moment?

I don’t remember ever wanting to be a writer. It seems I was good at writing plays, did this for years, aged nine onwards. I did some writing in my early twenties, and later wrote the odd essay. Almost a decade ago I wanted to write a story for a friend, from then on I started writing books. No Aha moment, it more or less just happened naturally, kinda flowed into it.

 Where did the inspiration for Rick and Wylie's Fantastical Magical Adventure come from?

Inspired by the desire to write a story for a friend of mine to read to his daughter, whilst spending two months in Hawaii, Kaua’i island, a beautiful place, thinking about some of the island’s legends, I imagined a mystical forest that existed inside the island, and was almost as big as the island, with lots of different regions. A story was born….


 Are your characters based on people you know in real life, or completely from scratch?

I wrote the book for a friend of mine to read to his daughter. I based the two main characters on them, placing them in a completely fantastic situation.

 How do you come up with your character names?

My Characters really do seem to name themselves. I don’t force anything onto any of my characters. Sometimes I actually continue writing the story without using a character’s name, because the name hasn’t come to me. I leave it that way until the name reveals itself. All the names in my stories are especially suited, tailor made, you could say : )

If you had to describe Rick and Wylie's Fantastical Magical Adventure in 12 words, how would you describe it?

A Fantastical, Magical Adventure, journeying to the far reaches of your imagination.

 How long did it take you to write the book?

It’s a big book and took about a year and a half to write. With all the editing, proof reading and tweeking, it was about three years in the making.

 What is the hardest part about writing a fantasy novel?

For me there is no hard part : ) I’ve always been blessed with an extremely fertile imagination. I guess ordinarily to write a great fantasy one must come up with a fantastic story; this is an area in which some fall woefully short….

Do you have a writing routine, ie special pen, time you write, word goals etc?

My main ‘thing’ is to set my desk up. I must have my writing space just how I like it. For some books I’ve worked afternoon into the early hours, on other books I’ve worked from about six a.m. until early evening, can’t identify what determines that order. I like to write approx two thousand words per day, with a five hundred word leeway either side. Whenever the story becomes especially complex, lots of activity, characters etc, this happens more in book 2 of this epic trilogy, then my word out put drops down to anything from three hundred to six and a half hundred words per day.

Other than writing, what are your hobbies/passions?

I really like riding motorbikes, swimming in the sea, body surfing, running, going through national parks, where you can see the most amazingly spectacular sights.

 Are you working on any new writing projects right now?

Right now I’m concentrating on promoting [Journey to the Kingdom], book 1 of the Rick & Wylie’s Fantastical, Magical Adventures trilogy. I have two books in the pipeline; book 2 of this trilogy is due to be released late Spring 2013, and later that year, Gurk & Whale [The Rose Mane Arrows], a fantasy adventure which was actually written in 2007, will be released.


Quick Fire Round:

E-book or Hard Copy?
My book is available in both formats. As an environmentalist I much prefer E-book, however it’s early days for this technology and not everyone, yet, has an E-reader. I think it’s important to cater for all my readers.

Coke or Pepsi?
Neither, no soda, although a very long time ago, pepsi.

Chocolate or Vanilla?
Vanilla. I sometimes have vanilla flavoured almond, and rice, milk

Blazing hot summer days or cold winter ones?
I come from a relatively brisk, wet, sunless climate, good olde Blighty. I’d take the blazing hot Summer days, thanks.

Morning person or night owl?
Right now morning person, but I can easily become a night owl. Once I get into a routine I’m comfortable writing at any time, late at night or early mornings. Now going dancing and clubbing, I miss that : )

Favorite Author?
No one single favourite, there are too many to choose from, but can I just mention a few who impressed me greatly when I was a teenager; Jack London, Richard Bach, Maya Angelou, Joseph Heller, Fyodor Dostoevsky, J. R. R. Tolkien, John Steinbeck

Last book you read?
It was to do with particle physics, don’t let me bore you with this, what can I say; I’m a science geek. I sometimes also write science fiction books.

What's a quote that inspires you?
‘Stand up and be counted’. That’s my own quote, featured in one of my books. I find it significant and inspiring.

What's your favorite comfort food?
Melissa, I need to give this answer some thought, get back to you on this. I’m a vegan and like fruit….

Meet Andi Katsina:

Hello my friends

I'm English, of rich Irish, African descent. Born in the sound of bow bells, an orphan, I grew up in Manchester, England. Quite a bit more than forty, I‘m a vegan, though occasionally lapse into vegetarianism.

Throughout my school years I was a champion athlete and swimmer, going on to become an athletics coach, swimming teacher and youth leader. After which time I was trained as a Chartered Accountant. Interrupting my training, I branched out, working freelance as a troubleshooter in the field of accountancy. Six years of adding and subtracting, was followed by two years of trading as an international commodities broker. This led me to the sedentary position of ‘trader in antique, oriental carpets’. It was at this juncture that I became completely inspired to become a writer.

As a ‘school kid’ I very much enjoyed writing plays in English, Latin and French. Fortunately for me, writing came naturally. I so, so like writing stories that give people, especially young people, and people young at heart, the chance to exercise their own imagination.

I love taking my readers on fantastic journeys. The enjoyment and taste of adventure my stories give to my readers, warms me greatly.

Best wishes from Andi Katsina

About the Book:

Title: Rick & Wylie's Fantastical, Magical Adventures book 1 [Journey to the Kingdom]

Published: June 2012

Release Date: 1st September 2012

Publisher: KatsInc. UK

Genre: Fantasy Adventure

Number of Pages 550  ; words ; 173,477

ISBN: 978-0955579523

Publisher Hub: www.theindieoracle.com

Author:  And Katsina (And, short for Andi. Andi, short for Andrea :)

Buy the book on Amazon

Add it on Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis:

Rick & Wylie's Fantastical, Magical Adventures (Journey to the Kingdom), tells the story of a father and his daughter, Rick and Wylie, who, due to the actions of an evil wizard, become separated, whilst on holiday in Hawaii.

Wylie has to work her way across a huge and dangerous mystical forest. Rick, along with some of his friends, enters the mystical forest to go in search of his daughter.

Both Rick and Wylie endure trials and tribulations, and are finally reunited in the forest. Together, they succeed in awakening the sleeping kingdom,  a place that has been hidden from the evil wizard for more than half a millennium

And now, it's Giveaway Time!

ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY:

3 lucky winners will each win an E-COPY of Rick and Wylie's Fantastical Magical Adventures

This Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY

This giveaway will run until 12:01 EST on 10-13-12

Winners will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond to their notification email before another winner is chosen.

You DO NOT have to be a follower of Melissa's Midnight Musings to enter. Anyone who does choose to follow is appreciated. :)

There are no mandatory entries, do as many or as few as you like.

All entries will be verified, any false entries will be removed.

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Sparks Off You by Anita Felicelli

Title:  Sparks Off You

Author: Anita Felicelli

Publisher: Henflower Press

Published: July 11 2012

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 300

Source: Received from author 

in exchange for an honest review

Read: September 17-19 2012

In A Few Words: Dark and Twisty

My Rating:  4 Stars

Goodreads: Add This Book to Your TBR shelf

Goodreads Synopsis:

Alienated and full of fire, two sisters navigate a chaotic world of sex, drugs, and dissolving identities after the loss of their mother. The younger sister, Julie Randeria, discovers that her assimilation into the world of Silicon Valley’s teenagers only works when she lets go of her personality. But where does personality end and madness begin?

When the mythology that barely holds her family together unravels, Julie is driven to the edge of unreality. Meanwhile, the limits of her sister and father's empathy are tested. Beautiful,unusual language sweeps readers into the consciousness and experiences of ordinary people struggling with what it means to be perceived as "normal" today and the consequences of cultural alienation.

Lyrical and provocative, "Sparks Off You" is a coming of age novel that follows an Indian-American girl trying to find herself as an artist in the Bay Area at the dawn of the tech boom.

Melissa's Musings:

This book holds up very well, and is very well written. It is dark, and twisty, full of pain, sorrow, searching, experimenting, and madness. That being said, it is slightly predictable at times, which is why it didn't get the full five stars from me. Nonetheless, it is a very good book. 

The story explores the lives of Julie and Maya, two very bright, if somewhat troubled girls. Their mother has passed away, and their father is distant, more focused on his work than he is on them. Both Julie and Maya are very smart, Julie has skipped a few grades in school, so she is a bit younger than her classmates, and this shows through in her personality and the way that she interacts with them. 

Julie is a very complex character, she's innocent, in a way, but there's something different about her. She knows it, and so do the people around her. She seems to feel things a lot more intensely than others do and it shows.  There's one scene in particular where she is upset because she thinks that a  boy she likes is more interested in her friend, and she wants him to be interested in her. She starts kicking a graveyard wall and keeps kicking until her feet start to bleed. It's a very powerful scene and you can tell that there's something really dark about Julie, even though she seems innocent.

It's actually quite interesting to look at the progression of the two sisters over the course of the book. At first Maya is the reckless and rowdy one, smoking pot, having sex with her boyfriends, driving crazily, and Julie is the meek, timid, "good girl. Then as the book goes on, they flip positions. Julie descends into drugs and sex, and Maya takes the more straightforward path. One thing I didn't like about all this is that Maya has no compassion for what happens to Julie. (I can't expand on what happens because it gives too much away, but lets just say that it's intense.) Maya plays the victim and the poor me card talking about how she had to take care of Julie all those years and this is what happens and on and on. Then she tells Julie to just get over what's happened to her and stop pretending that she's sick, basically. It's obvious that she has a real problem, but Maya refuses to acknowledge that. 

It's similar to how her father feels about what happens to Julie. He doesn't want to believe there's anything wrong. But, once he does realize that there's something there that needs to be dealt with, he is supportive in his own way and doesn't brush her off in the same way that Maya does. I liked Maya a lot less after the things she said and her actions toward Julie being sick.

There is a lot of great imagery in this book. It's mainly explored through Julie's paintings, and some strange drug trips, too. The colors are bright and vivid, and the descriptions take you right to the pictures in your mind's eye. I also  appreciated the part where Ram tries his hand at painting in an effort to understand Julie and as a way of welcoming her back.

I don't often talk about covers of books, but I have to mention that I don't feel the connection of this cover to the story. Maybe there was a line, or a subtle hint that I missed somewhere in the story, but it just doesn't quite seem to fit. Neither does the title, for me anyway. But, that's just my thought on it. I've read some great books with titles and covers I didn't really feel a connection to, and that just seems to be the case here.

It's definitely an adventure through the teenage  mind, filled with longing, experimentation, searching, rebellion, struggle, and a bit of madness. 

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*