Laurisa White Reyes's Blog, page 121

BOOK REVIEW: EARTH AFIRE by Orson Scott Card

EARTH AFIRE
Orson Scott Card
Doherty, Tom Assoc.
400 pp.
Adult Sci-Fi

One hundred years before Ender's Game, the aliens arrived on Earth with fire and death. This is the story of the First Formic War. Victor Delgado beat the alien ship to Earth, but just barely. Not soon enough to convince skeptical governments that there was a threat. They didn’t believe that until space stations and ships and colonies went up in sudden flame. And when that happened, only Mazer Rackham and the Mobile Operations Police could move fast enough to meet the threat.
"Social upheavals and political ineptitude are realized through rich characterization and brisk action, marrying the genre staple of alien invasion with conflicts of conscience." - Publisher's Weekly
My Review:
I've read every single book in the Ender's Game universe, and I will say right off the bat that EARTH AFIRE rivals them all, with perhaps the exception of ENDER'S GAME itself. Book two in the pre-quel series takes off where book one, EARTH UNAWARE, leaves off. Victor and Imala come up with a plan to destroy the mother ship, Mazer wreaks havoc on the Formic landers on Earth, the Formic invaders destroy much of China, it's just an incredible book. Told from multiple points of view, this book is packed with action, convincing scientific detail, and unforgettable characters. I listened to the audible version, and the narrators are great, too. Card is at the top of his game in EARTH AFIRE and all I can say is I cannot wait for book three.

BEST OF SUMMER 2013 GIVEAWAY HOP

Welcome to the BEST OF SUMMER 2013 KID LIT GIVEAWAY HOP hosted by Mother Daughter Book Reviews & Youth Literature Reviews!!! If you're new to blog hopping, here's what to do. Hop from blog to blog (there are 65+ participating blogs listed below) and fill out their entry forms. Each blog has a different book or book-related item to giveaway! The more blogs you visit, the more chances you have to win!
What am I giving away?
 

They called her Water Claire. When she washed up on their shore, no one knew that she came from a society where emotions and colors didn’t exist. That she had become a Vessel at age thirteen. That she had carried a Product at age fourteen. That it had been stolen from her body. Claire had a son. But what became of him she never knew. What was his name? Was he even alive?　 She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. Now Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice.
Son thrusts readers once again into the chilling world of the Newbery Medal winning book, The Giver,　as well as Gathering Blue　and　Messenger　where a new hero emerges. In this thrilling series finale, the startling and long-awaited conclusion to Lois Lowry’s epic tale culminates in a final clash between good and evil.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Enter to win via the rafflecopter form below. Just follow this blog, and earn extra entries by liking my Facebook page, following me on Twitter, or adding my books to your Goodreads! 

Check out all the other participating blogs listed below!This giveaway will end on September 6th.   U.S. only, please. a Rafflecopter giveaway 

TARGET THE TRENDS - OR NOT

This is my week to post at the Xchyler Publishing Blog. Today's post is about whether or not writers should bother keeping up with trends.  Read it here...http://www.xchylerpublishing.com/base.cfm?page_id=1505&post_id=1092&action=view

BOOKS: TREASURES OF CHILDHOOD

I read a post today on Sarah Negovetich's blog that really resonated with me. She shared a story from her childhood that perfectly captures the intense connection between her as a young girl and books. I felt that connection too, but probably not as young as Sarah did.
I loved writing at a young age, and wrote poems and plays and stories obsessively from the time I was about seven years old. But my love of books began, I think, when I was about eleven or twelve. I don't recall which book started it all for me. I vaguely recall my mom reading to me from Little House on the Prairie when I was little, and my 2nd grade teacher reading Charlotte's Web to our class. But neither of those books were the spark that lit the fire.
I think I was about twelve when I read Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. I vividly recall feeling like my heart had been ripped out of my chest as I sobbed and sobbed, not for hours, but for days after I finished it. My whole world was a soppy, sorrowful mess. But the depth of despair I felt at Lenny's death was also supremely exquisite.
I liked sad books for a while after that: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keys, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, Roots by Alex Haley.
However, I had also discovered something totally different.  The Trixie Belden Mysteries series by Kathryn Kenny & Julie Campbell drew me into a world of intrigue and suspense I'd never before known. For several years, it's all I read. I got stacks of Trixie Belden books for every holiday and birthday. I read voraciously. I think I read almost every one of the 39 books in the series. I didn't just read them--I wanted to be Trixie Belden! Funny that I never once read a Nancy Drew book. I could care less about Nancy. But Trixie was my hero.
I grew out of Trixie about half way through high school, but I saved all my books hoping that one day I'd have a daughter who would love them as much as I did. Well, my oldest daughter didn't care for them, and my next daughter has just reached the age where she might. I will have to go hunt for the box of books in my garage--and you know, whether or not my daughter falls in love with Trixie, I may just crack open a few for old times' sake.
What books did you treasure when you were a kid? Do you still have them?

THE LAST ENCHANTER BLOG TOUR - SIGN UP NOW!

Attention Middle Grade book bloggers! I am currently signing up blog tour hosts for my new book THE LAST ENCHANTER. I will be emailing those of you who are listed on Middle Grade Mania and who have expressed an interest in doing blog tours, or you can sign up now here:  http://laurisareyes.blogspot.com/p/blog-tour.html


All blog tour hosts will receive a hand-crafted pewter gryphon medallion on an 18" leather necklace, identical to the one worn by a character in THE LAST ENCHANTER. You may keep it for yourself or use as a giveaway prize for your readers.


If you'd like more information or are interested in participating in this or future Middle Grade Mania blog tours, please email me at laurisawhitereyes at yahoo dot com.

Thank you!

MOST MEMORABLE SCBWI CONFERENCE EVER

I just got home from spending four luxurious days at the Hyatt Regency in Los Angeles for the 42nd Annual SCBWI Conference (Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators). I've been four times before, and every time I come I am just blown away by the comradarie, support, inspiration and sheer joy at being among 1200 fellow writers. I swear this is what heaven will be like for me one day. I met some remarkable people including Laurie Halse Anderson (author of Speak and Chains), Henry Winkler, and Newberry Award winning author Richard Peck.
Me & Laurie Halse Anderson, author of SPEAK & CHAINS
Me & Henry Winkler

The biggest highlight for me was meeting Bruce Degan, author of many beloved children's books and the illustrator of The Magic School Bus series. Long, long ago in a far away place I was once an 18-year-old just out of high school looking for a job. I was hired at Once Upon A Time Bookstore in Montrose, CA. During the year I worked there I purchased many wonderful books, most of which I still own nearly 30 years later. One was JAMBERRY by Bruce Degan, a colorful, lyrical picture book that I just absolutely love. Over the years I have read the book hundreds of times over to my five kids, the oldest of which is now an adult.
Me & Bruce Degan, author of JAMBERRY
Well, I met Bruce Degan!!! Not only did he autograph my original 30 year old copy of JAMBERRY, but I bought a new copy for him to sign for my daughter so she can read it to her kids some day. Wow. I'm still in awe.
Just a sampling of THE LAST ENCHANTER tote bags.
Also a lot of fun was seeing the ocean of bright pink tote bags in the crowd. I brought 450 totebags promoting the release of THE LAST ENCHANTER in October, and they went like hotcakes! My husband said he didn't think the men would like them, but they were a hit. I even saw an older man with a black eye patch carrying one around.

Santa Clarita Schmoozers
But not everything was wine and roses this weekend. In fact, my sister Dorine and my friend Cheryl and I are jokingly calling it the weekend from hell.  Friday my glasses broke (thank goodness for superglue!). Saturday Cheryl's crown broke in two during dinner and she swallowed half of it. My publisher sent the wrong version of my manuscript to the proofreader, so I spent 3 hours Saturday morning tracking down the correct version. My publisher also got attacked by a swarm of wasps and was stung over 20 times. Then Saturday night I felt sick and went to bed early, missing the biggest party of the weekend. Sunday Dorine stayed in bed half the day with a migraine.  It was crazy! But over all, we had the time of our lives. Came home with a stack of books for the kids, and I made many new friends and memories to last a lifetime.

BOOK REVIEW: EARTH UNAWARE by Orson Scott Card

EARTH UNAWARE
Orson Scott Card
Doherty, Tom Associates
450 pp.
Adult

A hundred years before Ender's Game, humans thought they were alone in the galaxy. Humanity was slowly making their way out from Earth to the planets and asteroids of the Solar System, exploring and mining and founding colonies.
The mining ship El Cavador is far out from Earth, in the deeps of the Kuiper Belt, beyond Pluto. Other mining ships, and the families that live on them, are few and far between this far out. So when El Cavador’s telescopes pick up a fast-moving object coming in-system, it’s hard to know what to make of it. It’s massive and moving at a significant fraction of the speed of light.
But the ship has other problems. Their systems are old and failing. The family is getting too big. There are claim-jumping corporates bringing Asteroid Belt tactics to the Kuiper Belt. Worrying about a distant object that might or might not be an alien ship seems…not important.
They're wrong. It's the most important thing that has happened to the human race in a million years. This is humanity's first contact with an alien race. The First Formic War is about to begin.Earth Unaware is the first novel in The First Formic War series by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston.
MY REVIEW:
I've been a big fan of Orson Scott Card's famous sci-fi series since I first read ENDER'S GAME several years ago. I've read every book in the Ender universe. Some books are better than others, but EARTH UNAWARE easily earns it's rightful place as prequel to Ender. Told from multiple points of view, the story chronicles the discovery an alien ship on its way toward Earth and the response of those who see it first. Card is a master at creating a future society filled with advanced tech that feels as familiar as contemporary or historical novel. His characters who live billions of miles away in deepest space are as accessible as those who live right here on our home planet.
I listened to EARTH UNAWARE on my Ipod, and the moment it ended, I uploaded its sequel, EARTH AFIRE and have already started listening to that. Though categorized for Adults, I found nothing offensive in this book. My 12-year-old son loved it as much as I did. I give EARTH UNAWARE a confident 5 stars.


CONTENT REVIEW:
Profanity:  NoneSexuality:  NoneViolence:  Moderate

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE by Neil Gaiman

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE
Neil Gaiman
HarperCollins
192 pp.

"Poignant and heartbreaking, eloquent and frightening, impeccably rendered, it's a fable that reminds us how our lives are shaped by childhood experiences, what we gain from them and the price we pay" - Kirkus Reviews

* At the end of the review is a chance to win a signed copy of The Ocean at the End of the Lane . The giveaway ends on August 4th.

I was first introduced to Neil Gaiman's newest tale as a  sample Audible download, which included just the first chapter, I think. I wasn't impressed. Sounded like just another story about a boy observing the world around him. Gaiman's narrative did perfectly capture the naive and introspective voice of a seven-year-old boy, but otherwise I wondered what all the fuss was about. I decided I wouldn't bother with the rest.
Then I heard Neil Gaiman was coming to Glendale to speak. Tickets were about $50 a piece, but included a signed copy of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I did love Gaiman's Coraline and The Graveyard book, so I spent the money and went. Beside the fact that the Alex Theater where Gaiman spoke was sweltering, the experience was beyond memorable. Gaiman is a very unassuming, humble man with a gentle, British accent that could lull you sleep not from boredom, but from the sheer melody of it. When he read aloud from his book, I recognized his voice at once. He had been the reader on the audible sample. He read the very same chapter and a little more, and suddenly what seemed so blase before now felt simply magical.
I started reading it while sitting in the theater, and let me tell you, there is nothing blase or expected about The Ocean at the End of the Lane at all. The story begins with a young boy discovering the body of a dead man in his father's car. He is befriended by the Hemstock family, including Old Mrs. Hemstock, Ginnie Hemstock, and Ginnie's daughter, eleven-year-old Lettie. The boy accompanies Lettie on a strange encounter with an ancient, other worldly creature that finds its way inside of him.  And the story only gets more bizarre from there.
Yes, the story is bizarre, unpredictable, frightening, touching and miraculous all at once. It's the sort of story only Neil Gaiman can tell, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane is destined to claim its place among all the other Gaiman classics.


CONTENT RATING:

Profanity:  None
Violence:  Mild
Sexuality: Moderate (mentions a naked woman, and a child witnessing a sexual encounter between two adults, though from the child's naive point of view)

GIVEAWAY TIME
I am giving away (1) copy of The Ocean at the End of the Lane signed by the author. To enter, just fill out the rafflecopter form below. This giveaway ends on August 4th.  U.S. only please.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE MAGIC IS IN YOU

FIND YOUR MAGIC.
That is the theme I've used to promote THE ROCK OF IVANORE since its release in 2012. It's how I connect with the students at all the schools I visit, encouraging them to live their dreams and to never give up.
Now that book 2, THE LAST ENCHANTER, is coming out in October I need a new theme, something that not only captures the spirit of the book's protagonist, Marcus, who has discovered some amazing things about himself, but also will continue to inspire young readers to reach for the stars.
So I'm christening my new theme:
THE MAGIC IS IN YOU
When I do my school assemblies, I talk about how I always dreamed of being a writer, but the reason why it took so long for me to get around to doing it is that I didn't believe I could. I didn't think I had it in me to be a an author, and maybe I didn't at first. But I worked hard at developing my talents and overcame many obstacles to finally achieve my goals. I bring with me a big tote bag and then I ask the kids what tools magicians need to do magic. I always get the same answers, and I'm prepared for them.
"A magic book!"
"A cape!"
"A wand!"
"A magic hat!"

And I pull each item out my bag. Then I explain that in my book, Marcus doesn't use any of these things to do magic. Instead, he uses a gift given to him by his teacher: a key. Just an ordinary key. But then I tell the kids that they don't need any of those tools either, and they don't even need a key. Everything they need to do magic is inside of them. Once they find that special something, which is nothing more than believing in themselves and the willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed and never quit, then they can do anything.  That is magic.
Several months ago I presented this to the 5th grade at Sunland Elementary in California, which just happens to be the school I attended as a child. A few weeks letter I received a stack of thank you notes in the mail from the students. One in particular really touched my heart. It was from a girl who had played in her school's basketball game later that day. She missed shot after shot and started to get discouraged. But then she remembered what I had told her, to never give up. She tried once more, made the shot, and won the game. That is one child I know will live her dreams.
So, when things get difficult for you as they will for all of from time to time, remember that the magic is in you, and keep on going.

FINALLY - PICS FROM VACATION!

Earlier this month I spent a week with my family in Carlsbad, California. We have a timeshare at Tamarack Beach Resort, a nice little hotel right on the beach. My parents bought a timeshare there when it was first built nearly 30 years ago, so I've been going every year since then. My husband and I even spent our honeymoon there 20 years ago. We got our own timeshare about 8 years ago. So you could say Tamarack is a family tradition.
 

The view from our balcony - beach, palm trees & dolphins
Carlsbad is close to San Diego. There are so many things to do there: Seaworld, Legoland, Scripps Oceanography museum, Reuben H. Fleet Space Museum, the San Diego Mission, the zoo, the wild animal park, the Mormon Battalion museum, the shopping, the restaurants, the pool, the beach. We never get tired of going. And it is one of the prettiest spots on the Southern California coast.

Jarett petting the rays at Sea World

This year we did Seaworld. It's the third time we've gone this year. And we did the science museum, which the kids just loved. We spent some time on the beach, watching dolphins swim by. But as usual, the kids mostly hung out at the pool and I read books.

The community bookshelf in Carlsbad, CA

Carissa and I discovered something we'd never noticed before - an outdoor community bookshelf. It's just some shelves tacked onto the side of a building. Residents drop books off there and trade them for books they want to borrow. No one attends it. It's on the honor system. I suggested we create something like that in Santa Clarita, and Carissa said, "They'd all get stolen," which is probably true.

The Reyes kids outside the Reuben H. Fleet Science Museum

My girls and I went shopping, but were very sad to learn that our favorite spot, Harry & David's is now closed. That just sucked the joy out of the trip. Though we did get our traditional Godiva chocolate fix. We all saw Despicable Me 2 at the theater and then ate ice cream at Sub Zero. All in all, it was one of the best years ever. Even Gonzalo said so, which really means something coming from him.

Me on that thing that goes way too high over the ocean at Sea World.