Just Another Girl and her Books

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Review The Blessed Knights by Mary Ting

Genre: YA Paranormal

Published: October 28, 2016

Pages: 234

Synopsis

***Silver Medal Winner for Readers' Favorite International Book Award for Young Adult-Fantasy*** 2016

Above a small hill lay a home.
And green men peer out under the dome.
Thirteen crisscrossing arches behold,
with angels singing must be told.
Cubes like teeth thus showed,
pierce one and the door shall glow.
Part the sea like Moses,
to see the bundle of red roses.
Only then you shall see,
what is destined to be free.
But beware, if you are not the heir,
for damnation you shall declare,
for the false burden you shall bare.

Eli, Lucia’s half-demon love interest, has been stabbed with a true-cross dagger and captured by Cyrus, master of the possessor demons. The Chosen Knights must work together once again not only to save Eli, but also to decipher a clue to find the second missing page of Jacques de Molay’s journal. Meanwhile, Uncle Davin informs Crossroads’ Divine Elders of the danger ahead and learns there is much to fear. Countless children are being taken from all over the world to be turned into demons. Michael has no choice but to intervene. The Chosen Knights track down Mortem, the demon who is the key to finding Cyrus, and learn they must travel deep into the pit of a Hawaiian volcano. When they astral travel to the past in search of a clue and follow Jacques de Molay to Rosselyn Chapel in medieval Scotland, what they find will rewrite history.

Review

I was hired to proofread this book. The only aspects of the story that I influenced were the spelling and grammar. If you feel that my connection to the book makes my review untrustworthy, so be it, but this is my honest review.

I apologize in advance if this review seems a bit off the wall. You see, I read this book back in October, and while I largely remember the storyline, I have read a couple books from the Crossroads saga (for which this is a spin-off) since then, so my emotional experience is tainted somewhat. I promise to never make this mistake again. (I'm totally probably going to end up making this mistake again.) Moving on.

I really enjoyed returning to the mystery of the Knights Templar with Lucia's Blessed Knights. I did not particularly enjoy the rescue mission we had to go on to try and save Eli though. I really rather wish that rescue mission had not been necessary in the first place, although it was rather exciting and detailed at the time. I am also anxious to get to the next book in the story to see how the mystery will continue to play out.

I also enjoyed the return of some old favorites from the Crossroads Saga. It was almost like spending a weekend white water rafting with friends from high school. The chance of dismemberment or death was definitely there, but it still felt relatively safe because of their presence.

While I wouldn't say that you HAVE to read the Crossroads Saga first, because this spin-off is definitely it's own story, I would recommend it because it lays the groundwork for the lives of Lucia and the other Alkins and the half-breeds that they meet in Hawaii. At the very least you'll have fewer questions about how that all works if you start with the Crossroads Saga. Just trust me on this.

Overall I give The Blessed Knights 4 out of 5 stars because it was entertaining and exciting. - Katie

Buy the Book

Amazon

About the Author

International Bestselling Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

Ways to keep in touch with the author:

Newsletter Updates: http://eepurl.com/YMyCn

Website: www.authormaryting.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authormaryting
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsBook
Twitter @maryting
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11283685-crossroads
Blog: http://www.marytingbooks.blogspot.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/authormaryting

Deja Revu 20 February 2017

Déjà Revu is a weekly review round-up that is open to all book review blogs.

Original

Review or Regret - J. Hooligan @Platypire Reviews

Meme

Interview

The Land by Mildred D. Taylor - J. Hooligan @Platypire Reviews

Contemporary

Paranormal

Romance

There's Something About Nik by Sara Hantz - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers

Contemporary

Make Lemonade by Cassie Mae - Curly Carla @Celebrity Readers

Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic

The Bionics by Alicia Michaels - J. Hooligan @Platypire Reviews

Romance

Don't Speak by Katy Regnery - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers

Contemporary

Jordan Reclaimed by Scarlett Cole - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers

Historical

Kentucky Bride by Norah Hess - Curly Carla @Celebrity Readers

Paranormal

The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon - J. Hooligan @Platypire Reviews

Romance

Adapted for Film by Stacey Rourke - Curly Carla @Celebrity Readers

Monday, February 20, 2017

Is This Real Life or is This Just Fantasy

I recently had the following exchange with a Facebook friend, because that stupid Trump/50 Shades of Grey meme is going around again (probably because of the release of Fifty Shades Darker in theaters if I had to guess.) The exchange really got under my skin (I took screenshots for crying out loud!) and I would like to talk about it, and exactly why I feel like the comparison between things Donald Trump has said and the things described in 50 Shades of Grey is complete and utter bullshit.

Now before I really get started, I just want to clarify that this isn't really about Donald Trump, his words and prominence are merely the catalyst that brought this issue to the forefront of discussion. What this is about is the argument that reading about something in fiction, condones the actions in real life. And, well, that's just bullshit.

As I said in the exchange, the first problem with the comparison is that everything in 50 Shades is consensual. There is even a freaking contract involved, a contract that Ana was allowed to make changes to. That is written consent and she is free to leave at any point in time, and she does at the end of the first book. Now I realize that there are arguments for there being many issues with how healthy Christian and Ana's relationship is, but the fact of the matter is that she consents to everything they do because she wants to be with Christian. To argue that one persons consent (especially a fictional person) to those kinds of actions condones similar non-consensual actions is absurd and it borders on kink shaming. The Hunger Games was rather popular, but that doesn't mean we think it's okay to send eighteen kids into a dangerous arena to battle to the death simply for our entertainment, does it?

The second problem with my friend's argument is that it assumes that what one finds titillating in print or film, one would also be interested in experiencing in real life, and that's not always the case. I personally find FMF threesomes titillating, but have no interest in bringing another woman into the bedroom with my husband and me. It's fun to read about it, but I have no desire to experience it personally. And what woman hasn't at some point fantasized about a rich man or woman sweeping her off her feet to take care of her every need? Just because Christian adds whips and paddles to the equation doesn't change the overall fantasy all that much.

But the part of the argument that really grinds my gears is that it equates a character with no political aspirations with a man who represents all Americans as president. Let's be real here, if Christian Grey were to run for President, the likelihood of one of his former subs ignoring the NDA and telling her story to the press is pretty high. And the details of that story would likely give many people pause, make them reconsider whether or not Christian Grey is really president material. And even though many people would say that what consenting adults do behind closed doors doesn't matter, he'd probably lose the election, because that is not the kind of person we want representing us as a nation. But current Christian Grey isn't running for president. He's a private citizen engaging in consensual kink in the privacy of his own home. He also doesn't actually exist, in case you forgot.

So please, could we stop trotting this tired meme out every time there's a new 50 Shades of Grey movie release, acting as if the events in the books are at all comparable to the actions of a real life human being. - Katie

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Stacking the Shelves 18 February 2017

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Watermelon by Marian Keyes - I'm not sure now which of my blogging friends likes Marian Keyes, but I think it's one of the Platypires, so I buy her books any time I see them even though I haven't read anything by her yet.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr - It's actually odd that I haven't already read this book, because I read many notable WWII era historical fiction books targeted towards children as a child. I've always had a fascination with the Holocaust and learning about peoples lives during it.
Ghosts Don't Eat Potato Chips by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones - I feel like I read a lot of the Bailey School Kids books when I was younger, this particular one was copyrighted when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, so it's very possible these made up a portion of the hauls that I'd get after every book order. With that in mind, I've been buying these for my kids to read.
The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby by Dav Pilkey - My son likes comic books, so this will likely be right up his alley.
Confessions of a Sponge by Sarah Willson - I like Spongebob Squarepants, and I like to at least pretend that my children do too.
Chuckle and Cringe by David Lewman - This is a book of Spongebob's embarrassing stories. It's a nice short book for a reluctant reader.
Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo - This book made me think of Harry Potter, so I felt it was worth buying to see if it would be appealing in a similar way.
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo - I think I was able to get most of the series all in one go.
Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo - If you want to read this series, this is the book you should start with. It's #1.
Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy by Jenny Nimmo - I hope this series isn't just a cheap knockoff of Harry Potter. That would make me sad.
The Beach House by Jane Green - I think Jane Green was one of the featured authors for BookSparks a couple years ago when I was trying to take part in some challenge, so ever since then I've bought any of her books I've come across.
The Heroic Sagas of Neuschwanstein by Markus Richter - This book doesn't appear to be available on Amazon (it's probably only sold at Neuschwanstein Castle and in the town of Hohenschwangau in Germany. I've been to Neuschwanstein though, so I wanted the book.
Isle of the Dead by Emily Rodda - The cover of this book is shiny. That's all it took to appeal to me. Please don't judge.
The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda - The cover of this book looks like a cross between The Wizard of Oz and Frozen. I'm intrigued.
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater - I think I've heard good things about this author, so the book was worth a shot.
Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater - I couldn't buy Lament and not buy Ballad too when they were sitting right next to each other.
Charlie Bone and the Hidden King by Jenny Nimmo - Obviously this should have been listed sooner, but that's not how it ended up being bagged when I was shopping.
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks - I'm really not a very big Nicholas Sparks fan, but I know his books are good for when I need a truly heartwarming read that will also make me cry like a little girl.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling - I love love love Harry Potter but have no actually read any of Rowling's other work. It's probably high time I remedied that.
The Real Boy by Anne Ursu - It's becoming quite apparent to me that I have it in my head that my children are going to love to read (or I will MAKE THEM!!!) Since we homeschool, they don't have the benefit of getting Scholastic book orders, so this will just have to do.
Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - I try to buy books about diverse life experiences when I find them.
Blaze the Ice Dragon by Adam Blade - It looked like a relatively easy read for a young reader (like my kids) and I might be able to use it to help score some points for the #BeatTheBacklist #HogwartsMiniChallenge too.
Stealth the Ghost Panther by Adam Blade - Again, looks like an easy but exciting read for my kids.
Revenge of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stein - My son has started to show an interest in Goosebumps books, so I will continue to buy them when I find them.
Frankenstein Doesn't Plant Petunias by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones - I think the Bailey School Kids books look interesting.
Scooby-Doo and the Carnival Creeper by James Gelsey - My kids have enjoyed watching Scooby-Doo on DVD, so I hope that will translate to wanting to read the books.
Scooby-Doo and the Masked Magician by James Gelsey - Same explanation as above.
Scooby-Doo: The Case of the Lost Lumberjack by Jesse McCann - I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts.
Spongebob Squarepants Trivia Book by David Fain - I fully intended for my children to get this book, but see what people are charging for used copies on Amazon, I think I might wanna' sell it instead!
Spongebob Naturepants by Terry Collins - I guess my kids can keep this one. It's available on Kindle for not a whole lot.
Laugh'n'ride by David Lewman - This is a Spongebob Squarepants joke book...surely it's funny right?
Dear Spongebob by Steven Banks - This is basically a Spongebob Squarepants Mad Lib book.
Spongebob Squarepants: Joke Book by David Lewman - I think this is self-explanatory.
Hall Monitor by Annie Auerbach - This is just a Spongebob Squarepants chapter book.
Spongebob Superstar by Annie Auerbach - Another Spongebob chapter book.
Adventures in Bikini Bottom by various authors - This is a collection of read to read books.
The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas - I really like the cover of this book.
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller - I feel like this is a good educational book, the kind of thing I would have had to read as a child, so naturally in intend to require my children to read it.
Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner - I buy all of Weiner's books when I see them...One of these days I'll read at least one of them.
My Dearest Mr. Darcy by Sharon Lathan - A continuation of Pride and Prejudice, sign me up.
Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy by Sharon Lathan - So, this should have been listed before the previous book. Pretend that's what I did.

Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll - Wait, a different Pride and Prejudice continuation...I'm probably going to get quite confused.
Darcy & Elizabeth: Nights and Days at Pemberley by Linda Berdoll - Yes, going to get quite confused indeed.
Home Front by Kristin Hannah - Ever since reading The Nightingale, I've bought every Kristin Hannah book I've found.
Sexual Selection by Malte Andersson - Can't find this book on Amazon...it's a science book that maybe will be useful at some point.
Winter of the World by Ken Follett - I probably don't have the first book in this series, but I might...I have at least two other Follett books, I think...maybe.
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov - I've done those writing style analyzer thingies online, and they consistently say that I write like Nabokov...so I should probably read him at some point.
DK Eyewitness Books: Mammal by Steve Parker - This book is absolutely for school purposes.
Star Wars Episode 1 Journal: Queen Amidala by Jude Watson - My kids like Star Wars, so they may enjoy this.
Sandy's Rocket by Steven Banks - It's another Spongebob chapter book.
Scared Silly by David Lewman - Spooky Spongebob jokes.
Lights! Camera! Action! by Jenny Miglis - This is another Spongebob Mad Libs style book.
Laughapalooza Joke Book by Kitty Richards - Phineas and Ferb jokes. This is one of the few current kid shows that I actually enjoy, so I fully encourage my kids to watch it.
Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey by Timothy Roland - I just thought this looked like an interesting kids book.
Treasure in the Graveyard by Roberto Pavanello - I always loved scary stories as a kid, so I try to provide them for my kids as well.

And that is all the books that I bought at the thrift store this week. This haul cost me a whopping $8.75, so it was kind of an expensive week for me, but I got a LOT of books, and most of them are even for my children. What did your book haul look like this week? Let me know in the comments. - Katie

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Deja Revu 2/13/17

Déjà Revu is a weekly review round-up that is open to all book review blogs.

Meme

Contemporary

Sweet Tea and Summer Love by Regan Claire - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers

Fantasy

Paranormal

Romance

Action/Adventure

Play and Crimson by Kayti Nika Raet - Alisha @The Bohemian Housewife

Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic

Waking Up Alive by Emma Shortt - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers

Religious

The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller - Anita @AnitaLoves2Read

Romance

Must Fit the List by Allie Able & Becca Taylor - Zara @The Bohemian Housewife

Science Fiction

Friday, February 10, 2017

Stacking the Shelves 11 February 2017

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm going to try to start posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too (even if none of the Platypires will be joining me), which will cover the books I receive through Netgalley. But I also go to my thrift store at least once a week, and often leave with a bag full of books. It's such a common occurrence that I'm known as The Book Lady to the frequent volunteers (and I suspect that they've started scheduling their $1 bag of books sales for Thursdays simply because that is the day I usually visit.) So my Stacking the Shelves posts are going to focus on my thrift store hauls, because this is my blog and I do what I want.

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week.

The Old Wives Tale by Arnold Bennett - So I picked this book up because I thought it said it was illustrated by Jane Austen (it's not, it's illustrated by John Austen) and that made me think it might be one of the works that Ms. Austen originally published under a male pseudonym (because I think she did that, and Bennett would be a reasonable surname for her to have used considering the surname of the heroine in Pride and Prejudice.) In any case, the copyright in this book is 1940, and it doesn't indicate that it's anything other than the first printing, so I think it's still a cool find.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - I feel like this is one of those books that often finds itself on lists of books that everyone should read by the time they're 30 or 40 or whatever. I'm sure I can find it on a list like that somewhere.
See my Heart Not my Past by Baylor Barbee and Trent Shelton - I bought this book solely because it has a heart on the cover, and I've got that upcoming Instagram challenge. (Also, it was only 50 cents.)
Tell All by Chuck Palahniuk - I've never actually read anything by Palahniuk, but he's an author that I know my brother recommends, so I buy him when I see him.
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson - I'm pretty sure this is like a Peter Pan retelling or something. It's very clearly about pirates to an extent, so it seemed rather interesting to me.

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - I've mentioned before that I enjoy historical fiction, and I really enjoy Gregory's writing style, so this book that I'm fairly certain wasn't already on my shelves was a no brainer for me.
Paws Off, Cheddarface! by Geronimo Stilton - I have purchased a few books from this series in the past for my children. I'm pretty sure this isn't one of them. I like how these books use different fonts and colors in the type to make reading a bit more exciting for the kids.
Mouse Overboard! by Geronimo Stilton - Somewhere, out there, beneath the pale moonlight.
Flight of the Red Bandit by Geronimo Stilton - Someone's thinking of me, and loving me tonight.
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - I'm pretty sure I've seen other bloggers raving about this book, or maybe they've been raving about another book with a similar title. I don't know. I'm intrigued by the cover, so that's good enough for me.
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick - Why buy book 1 and not grab book 2 when it's sitting right there next to it (they weren't actually sitting next to each other, they were on completely different shelves because I was at a thrift store.)
Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson - In case you're wondering why this isn't listed with the first book in the series, it's because I picked them up on two different days. It's kind of a miracle that no one else had snatched this yet I think.
Horns & Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson - I just really liked the cover for this book.
Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot by Dav Pilkey - I have another book in this series that my son seemed to enjoy when I read it to him a few years ago, so I figured this might be good for him to read to himself now.
Run for the Hills, Geronimo! by Geronimo Stilton - It looks like the kind of book a kid would find interesting. I like giving my kids options.
Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret by Liz Kessler - I bought a couple of other books from this series a few weeks ago. It's sometimes strange the way books that were pretty clearly donated by the same family take a while to all make their way to the shelves.
A Christmas Baby by Annette Blair - This book title has changed since the copy I bought was published. It is now called Untamable Rogue. Made it quite difficult to find on Amazon. I bought this because I like to be prepared for reading cheesy Christmas books in both July (Christmas in July) and December, even though I rarely end up finding much time to do so.
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson - The title for this book just really drew me in. I had to grab it.

The Mirages of Marriage by William J. Lederer and Don D. Jackson, M.D. - This book is probably going to anger me, but as my copy has a copyright of 1968 and seems to be a first edition, I'll try to remind myself that some of the ideals are rather outdated.
The Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul - I said that I want to read more political non-fiction this year, and I sincerely want it to include a variety of viewpoints.
A Town like Alice by Nevil Shute - I've seen this book at the thrift store several times, both my current thrift store and my last thrift store. I'm also pretty sure it's been on one of those lists of books everyone (or every woman) is supposed to read by X (age).
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer - WWII era historical fiction? Sign me up! Also, the cover is blue, which is like a bonus for me.
The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama - I enjoy reading fiction from other cultures...although it appears that this is the second book in a series, so that's fun.
Another Woman & Forbidden Places by Penny Vincenzi - Two books in one making this volume almost 1000 pages long. It's really hard for me to resist a big book when I see one.
No Angel by Penny Vincenzi - Funny, on Amazon for the previous book, it said customers who buy this book also buy No Angel, and I did!!! No Angel was the only also bought book listed, and Penny Vincenzi has several.
Something Dangerous by Penny Vincenzi - The description of this book contains the words "the spectre of Nazi Germany is growing" so I was sold. Also, it's a big book, and blue, so triple win.

So that's all the books that I picked up at the thrift store this week. I bought them in two separate trips (one of them on Saturday but I'd already published last weeks Stacking the Shelves so I just held them to add to this week.) I spent a total of $4.25 on this haul. I just love thrift shopping.

What books did you get this week? Let me know in the comments below. - Katie

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Challenge Review or Regret

So yesterday I woke up at 3 in the morning to discover the above messages from Joood - Hooligan of Platypire Reviews. Somehow in my sleep fog I managed to miss that she'd gotten this idea from a book, but being the good sport that I am, I agreed to join her in this. If you would like, you can read Joood's lies and slander about this challenge, but I'm here to give it to you straight.

Basically we are here to keep each other accountable for getting reviews posted, because as you should all know from my Joood's Reviews posts (which I totes need to start doing again), Joood is horrible about actually posting reviews after she gets books read...and that tendency has started to rub off on me (I'm like 3 months behind here.) So not having to do an embarrassing thing is our incentive for getting our two weekly reviews written and posted. What horrible thing you ask? Well...

I ended up giving her a little help coming up with my punishment. If I fail to get my two weekly reviews posted, I will have to read an erotica selection (or erotica fan fiction) with feeling. I'm not sure how embarrassing it will be, but trying to do it without laughing my ass off will be hard, so hard.

Then we just had to come up with a name for our challenge, and by we, I mean me. I did all the work there. Don't let Joood lie to you about that.