Mundie Moms

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Twitter Tuesday - Cassandra Clare

Camille Belcourt by mightykatara

Not sure if you guys missed any of the fantastic Character Q&A Cassie did on March 12th, but we've managed to get them all into the Forum and sort them by series and character. So for The Mortal Instruments characters, you can view the answers here and for The Infernal Devices characters, you can go to their forum here. You do not need to be a member of Mundie Moms to view the forum; you need to become one if you can't resist and have to comment. ;]

Phew.

Have you read through them?? Pretty interesting answers. I have to admit that some made me laugh and others broke my heart (*whispers aside* that would be you, Jem). Go on and take a peek.

Book Review- Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Published by Harper Teen
Released on March 15th, 2011 TODAY
Source- ARC from publisher for review
4.5 stars- It's A Great Read

When Jill finds a rusty sword tip on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued- and little expects that it will transport her through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Will a dark enchantment, salty kisses and a duel with an evil pirate captain leave her stranded in the eighteenth century forever? (quoted from the back of the ARC).

Talk about an adventure on the high seas! Steel is a fantastic read that not only took me back to the 18th century via a pirate ship, but this is one of the few books I've read involving pirates and I really enjoyed it. It's action packed, pirate talk & rich history made for a fun, engaging read.

Jill, an avid fencer is on a trip with her family to Jamaica when she comes across part of a centuries old pirate sword. The magic from this sword ends up taking Jill on an unforgettable adventure. Knowing she's just falling out of a tour boat during a storm, Jill didn't except to get rescued from pirates aboard the ship Diana. What I loved about Jill's adventure is how authentic the setting, the language and the characters felt. My only compliant would be with Jill, as I felt like I was told more about how she felt and what she was thinking, vs experiencing it with her. For me that made me feel like she was closed off as character, but at the same time I did enjoy getting to experience the adventure with her.

I loved how alive the setting felt. I didn't need the experience of being on a ship at sea to get a vivid picture or a sense of what it's like. Steel's descriptive smells, and sounds made me feel like I was there on the ship. Can I just say GIRL POWER! I loved how Carrie Vaughn brought to life some very strong willed female characters, who have left their mark in what's known a man's world. I loved Diana's captain, Captain Marjory Copper. She not only holds her own, but she's respected among her ship and the other well known historical pirates that Carrie mentions in Steel. Not to mention Jill really over comes her struggles and finally accepts herself for who is she and what she can do.

There's no need to worry if you'll understand the pirate language, as Carrie's hard work and research really shines through Steel's pages. I never once felt like I didn't understand what was being said or going on. I loved the touch Carrie adds to her book with each chapter heading being a word that blends in with the story like En garde, Remise and Touche. The glossary at the end of the book includes the words means/description.

Steel is a fun, entertaining, adventurous read, with a nice romance that doesn't over take the main story. Carrie adds the perfect dose of character chemistry between Jill and Henry. *sigh* Henry. Carrie's writing flows wonderfully, the plot is engaging, the characters are great and world is captivating. Steel is a fantastic story that fans of YA, adventure, strong heroines and pirates would enjoy. Not to mention it's a great historical fiction. YES, I recommend picking up Steel today.

Blog Tour- Priscilla The Great



Today we have Priscilla from Priscilla The Great on our blog-

Thank you for being with us today Priscilla. How would you describe yourself?
I think I’m fun, fiery, and fliptastic. Okay, that attempt at alliteration really didn’t work out. Oh, feisty. Let’s go with feisty. Yeah, I’m fun, fiery, and feisty. I like that.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not at school or trying to protect your family from assassins?
Oh, I love listening to music. I have a pretty weird taste in music. I usually like bands no one has ever heard of. You should check out my weekly segment at my blog called “Music the Radio Doesn’t Play.” And I looove comic books. Me and my friend Kyle are always trading books back and forth. If possible, I would make comic books like the only required reading in school. I also like to watch movies that involve comic book characters! I’m currently obsessed with Ryan Reynolds because he’s going to play Green Lantern. I love him (Sigh). Anyway, my best friend Tai and I also have this weird obsession with hair. We love to style each other’s hair. Good thing too, cause our parents are terrible at it. Meeting Tai saved me from a life of looking exactly like Pippi Longstocking. No offense to Pippi, but pig tails are not my thing.

What's your favorite subject in school and why?
I like PE. It lets me get rid of some energy. Plus I loooove beating Kyle in basketball every day.

What advice would you give to other middle graders who feel they aren't "normal"?
Oh, I have great advice and here it goes: What’s normal anyway? Who in the world gets to decide what’s normal? Is it normal to let other people decide what’s normal for you? I think not! What’s most important in life is having people close to you that care, no matter how unnormal (is that a word?) you or they might seem.

What's the coolest thing about being able to shoot fire from your fingers?
I love to eat. So being able to have a warm meal no matter where I am is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Have you ever tried roasted beef jerky? It’s the best. And don’t even get me started about a nice warm Moonpie…yum.

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Published on December 15th, 2010

Meet Priscilla Sumner, an ordinary seventh grader with extraordinary gifts. As if middle school isn’t hard enough, not only does Priscilla have to fight pimples and bullies, but genetically enhanced assassins trying to kill her and her family. Armed with wit, strength, and a genius best friend, Priscilla must defeat the Selliwood Institute, an organization dead set on turning children into killing machines.

Add an older brother annoyingly obsessed with Christina Aguilera, mischievous baby twin brothers who could scare the sin off of Satan, and parents more puzzling than a Rubik’s cube in the Bermuda triangle and expect a smoking page-turner! (quoted from Goodreads).

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Be sure to stop by Sybil's site to enter to win....
1- Signed Priscilla the Great Book
11- Priscilla the Great t-shirt
1- Priscilla the Great tote bag
1- $15 iTune gift card

All you have to do is sign up for her newsletter and comment on the different blog tour posts to enter to win. Each comment gets you a new entry! The giveaway ends on April 8th, 2011

Be sure to visit the the following blogs for the Priscilla The Great Tour-
Monday, March 14: There's A Book
Tuesday, March 15: The Mundie Moms
Wednesday, March 16: Friendly Reader
Thursday, March 17: I Am a Reader Not a Writer
Friday, March 18: An Avid Reader’s Musings
Monday, March 21: A Good Addiction
Tuesday, March 22: Rex Robot Reviews
Wednesday, March 23: The Mundie Moms
Thursday, March 24: A Fanatic Book Blog
Monday,March 28: Books Complete Me
Wednesday, March 30: A Good Addiction
Thursday, March 31: My Reading Room
Friday, April 1: Rex Robot Reviews
Monday, April 4: Fragments of Life
Tuesday, April 5: An Avid Reader's Musings
Thursday, April 7: The Fiction Enthusiast
Friday, April 8: Friendly Reader

Cover Reveal for DJ DeSmyter's Hunted

Seventeen-year-old Lily Atwater has always kept to herself, living a lonely life with her workaholic dad. Not the most thrilling life, but it’s quiet and ordinary, two things she’s come to expect from living in Victor Hills, Michigan.
When kind and mysterious Alex takes refuge in her home, she is suddenly thrown into his world of werewolves, a world he wants to keep her safe from. But while the two of them grow closer, a relentless hunter continues his search, stalking the woods with hopes of catching the wolf that got away…(quoted from Goodreads).

I am REALLY looking forward to Hunted's release this summer. I like it when a wolf book has a kind of erie cover. I gravitate towards the outdoor covers when they're wolf books. I love the vibe the trees and moon give. Doesn't it make you wonder what secret is kept in these woods.....

Hunted is DJ DeSmyter's debut book and it will be available on August 9th, 2011 from Pendrell Publishing. You can find out more about DJ and Hunted by visiting these sites here-
* DJ's website
* DJ's blog

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