Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 231

#BookReview | One Haunted House by Calee M. Lee

Title: One Haunted HouseBy: Calee M. LeeGenre: Picture BookPages: 15Release Date: April 20th, 2017Publisher: Xist PublishingAudience: Pre-K
Summary from Goodreads: Preschool Halloween Counting Book One Haunted House is joined by Two Perfect Pumpkins, Three Winsome Witches, Four Baffled Bats and even more Halloween friends Perfect for toddlers through Kindergarteners, One Haunted House is a gentle introduction to the spooky side of Halloween, with lots of candy and good fun of course!
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Review: I read this book to my three year old to get his reaction. Right off the bat he loved the art. He kept telling me to turn the page back because he wasn't done looking at the fun pictures. His favorite were the four baffled bats. The eyes are a crack up. I loved how the rhymes flowed well and were unique. A lot of times the rhyming doesn't work well and I feel like I have heard it all before, but this book not only captured my son's attention, but it made me laugh as well. Loved it from start to finish.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

May 2015 Reads

Well, I went a little crazy and read all the books on my TBR list that were under 100 pages. I have a total of 25 books this month to share with you. Most of them have reviews posted here, but there are some that I just didn't get around to. They were all good. I don't think I reviewed any of them at less than a 3 star. Without further adieu, my May book list.

 The Book Thief by Markus ZusakTroubletwisters by Garth Nix and Sean Williams
 Fire Above, Fire Below by Garth NixThe Transfer by Veronica Roth
 Four the Initiate by Veronica RothFour the Son by Veronica Roth
 Four the Traitor by Veronica RothThe Guard by Kiera Cass
 The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley SpiresThe Bone Queen by Alison Croggon
 A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. MaasThe Favorite by Kiera Cass
 Elf Warfare by Chris PramasThe Legion of Flame by Anthony Ryan
 Home Going by Yaa GyasiRoar by Cora Carmack
 Assassin's Fate by Robin HobbThere, There by Tim Beiser and Bill Slavin
 The Cityborn by Edward WillettLost boy by Christina Henry
 The Wanderland Chronicles by J.M. SullivanMy Name is Caillou

Middle Bear by Susanna IsernOne Haunted House by Calee Lee
No Room for Baby! by Emile Jardoul

#BookReview | The Wanderland Chronicles by J.M. Sullivan

Title: The Wanderland ChroniclesBy: J.M. SullivanGenre: DystopianPages: 360Release Date: May 16th, 2017Publisher: Pen Name PublishingAudience: Young Adult
Summary from Goodreads:“Always protect your queen.”
Ever since the outbreak of the Plague, life hasn’t been easy, and for seventeen-year-old Alice Carroll, it just got worse. Her sister, Dinah, has contracted the ‘un-deadly’ Momerath Virus and without a cure, will soon be worse than dead. She’ll be momerath.

Alice must leave the safety of the Sector and venture into Momerath Territory to find the antidote - if it exists. Chasing a rumor about a mysterious doctor with the cure, Alice falls down the rabbit hole into Wanderland, where ravenous momerath aren’t the only danger lurking. 
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Review: This book was Alice in Wonderland meets The Walking Dead. Epic! We follow Alice as she makes her way through Wanderland in the search for a cure to a deadly mutation that her sister has contracted. She meets Chess, The Bug, Hatta and may more on her journey. I love how all the classic Alice in Wonderland elements are weaved throughout this dystopian style read. Five stars for J.M. Sullivan.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#WeeklyMenu Week 199

I love my random book mail these days. This week I received The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett. The cover is just beautiful. So much better in person than ebook.

This book reminded me of Firefly. Space Western with the end of the world to deal with. It was a great read and one you all should pick up.

My own writing is coming along nicely. Up to chapter fourteen of my new book and cruising right along on my newest short story. Hopefully I should have one of them done soon, but things keep getting in the way and I'm not writing as much as I want to be. Still waiting for the edits on Seeker and the cover art, but that should be coming out soon too. Then to get to working on the third book in the series, Betrayer.

Enjoy this weeks menu!


Monday- Philly Cheesesteak Omelette 
Tuesday- Steak Fajitas 
Wednesday- Chicken Pesto Bake
Thursday- Skillet Tuscan Tortellini 
Friday- Pesto Chicken Sandwiches
Saturday- Teriyaki Chicken
Sunday- Tuna Sandwiches

#BookReview | The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

Title: The Most Magnificent ThingBy: Ashley SpiresGenre: Picture BookPages: 32Release Date: April 1st, 2014Publisher:  Kids Can PressAudience: Everyone!
Summary from Goodreads:Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires has created a charming picture book about an unnamed girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog. The girl has a wonderful idea. She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!? But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right.
For the early grades' exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl's frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it's okay to make mistakes. The clever use of verbs in groups of threes is both fun and functional, offering opportunities for wonderful vocabulary enrichment. The girl doesn't just make her magnificent thing --- "she tinkers and hammers and measures, she smoothes and wrenches and fiddles, she twists and tweaks and fastens." These precise action words are likely to fire up the imaginations of youngsters eager to create their own inventions and is a great tie-in to learning about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. 

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Review:What an awesome story! My three year old sat through this whole book as we read about the little girl who wanted to make something magnificent, but she couldn't get it right. Every time we turned the page, my son would ask "What is it?" He was super excited at the end of the book when the most magnificent thing was finally done. Loved this story. Loved the art, it was fantastic. Loved my son's reaction.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Seraphina's Vengeance by Sheena Hutchinson #Coverreveal @Sheena_Hutch

Seraphina’s Vengeance
Sheena Hutchinson
(Seraphina #3)
Publication date: July 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

One year ago, Seraphina’s entire world seemed to have dived into a mythical land over night. She’s somehow even gotten used to the madness of it all. But what happens when the craziness stops? Things become quiet… too quiet.
She should have known better, Sera should have known that things weren’t as quiet as they seemed. After one of the best nights of her life, Sera is forced into this treacherous journey to save one of her loved ones.
But following the path of evil begins to take its toll on Sera. As she struggles with her own internal dilemmas, Nate starts to take matters into his own hands. When this unseen world finally begins to affect Sera’s emotions and her relationship. Can she hold it together to save her loved ones? Will love conquer all? Or will it turn her evil… forever?

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Author Bio:
Sheena is a born and raised New Yorker, even her writing can't seem to hide her hard sarcasm. She claims destiny has lead her back to her true passion for writing.
She constantly strives to be a positive role model and writes stories that empower and inspire. Sheena always roots for the underdog, believes in love at first sight, and that everyone should have their happily ever after.
While God is currently still writing her love story, she continues to put all her effort into her writing as she is constantly getting new inspiration.
For more info, updates, and fun facts visit her website at www.SheenaHutchinson.com
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Darkest Days by N.W. Harris #BlogTour @nwharrisbooks

Darkest Days
N W Harris
(The Last Orphans, #4)
Publication date: May 22nd 2017
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Young Adult

The ancient slave mongers who killed the adults and enslaved the children have angered a more advanced species of aliens. Composed of pure energy, this superior race has attacked the Anunnaki home world and is now setting a course for Earth.
The energy-based aliens believe in a system of trial by battle. They seek to push Shane and his friends into the arena with the ones who killed their parents. The results will determine if humans deserve to live, or if they should be made extinct as well. It’s up to Shane to keep his friends—and an army of kids who look up to him—alive. They’ll be fighting not just for their own lives, but for the fate of the entire human race. Can the enemy of Shane’s enemy be his friend, or is this just another species determined to exploit and destroy them?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Smashwords—GUEST POST BY N.W. HARRIS: What would I tell a new author? What to tell a new author, hmmm… There is so much to tell, though every writer’s journey is different. First off, I’d tell them to write for themselves. If one writes just to get published and make money, I think they’ll go mad and/or quit before they ever get close. Why? It takes years to polish one’s craft enough to be published by a creditable publisher. I think writing has to be looked at as a hobby that could become a career. A writer has to want to write because there is something that is inside them that needs to get out. Write for a creative outlet. Write like it doesn’t matter if anyone besides you ever reads it. Write almost everyday, but it is important to take days off too.
Much of the education for the profession comes from practical experience. Sure, a writer draws from their experiences and traditional education. My educational background is mostly based in science, biology and anthropology, and it provides a volume of information to draw upon. But, I had to learn the craft of writing by trial and error. Every writer has to find his or her voice. That can take years, and it can only be discovered by hard work.
I’d tell them to persist. It’s my favorite word. You have to write a novel. Destroy it. Rewrite it. Invest countless hours and sometimes even years. Then you have to be willing to let all that work go because it was just the classroom where you polished your craft. You have to swallow rejection after rejection and keep fighting. When you get criticism, you have to listen to it. I’m not saying a budding writer should try to oblige every critic, but growth is critical and growth comes from taking in criticism. Deal with any pain it might cause quickly, and then get into the game again by applying what you’ve learned.

Author Bio:
Born at the end of the Vietnam war and raised on a horse farm near small town north Georgia, his imagination evolved under the swaying pines surrounding his family’s log home. On summer days that were too hot, winter days that were too cold, and every night into the wee morning hours, he read books. He lives in sunny southern California with his beautiful wife and two perfect children.
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#BookReview | Assassin's Fate by Robin Hobb

Title: Assassin's FateBy: Robin HobbGenre: Epic Fantasy Pages: 847Release Date: May 9th, 2017Publisher: Del ReyAudience: Adult
Summary from Goodreads: More than twenty years ago, the first epic fantasy novel featuring FitzChivalry Farseer and his mysterious, often maddening friend the Fool struck like a bolt of brilliant lightning. Now New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb brings to a momentous close the third trilogy featuring these beloved characters in a novel of unsurpassed artistry that is sure to endure as one of the great masterworks of the genre.
Fitz’s young daughter, Bee, has been kidnapped by the Servants, a secret society whose members not only dream of possible futures but use their prophecies to add to their wealth and influence. Bee plays a crucial part in these dreams—but just what part remains uncertain.

As Bee is dragged by her sadistic captors across half the world, Fitz and the Fool, believing her dead, embark on a mission of revenge that will take them to the distant island where the Servants reside—a place the Fool once called home and later called prison. It was a hell the Fool escaped, maimed and blinded, swearing never to return.

For all his injuries, however, the Fool is not as helpless as he seems. He is a dreamer too, able to shape the future. And though Fitz is no longer the peerless assassin of his youth, he remains a man to be reckoned with—deadly with blades and poison, and adept in Farseer magic. And their goal is simple: to make sure not a single Servant survives their scourge. 
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Review: I’ve always loved how this series pulls no punches. What an epic way to finish. In true Hobbsfashion, we are taken on an epic ride, one that will leave you emotionally drained. Will I miss the Characters? Yes. Will my life be empty and void without Fitz? Of course, but at least I have the option of starting over and reading again from the beginning.  
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | The Cityborn by Edward Willett

Title: The CitybornBy: Edward WillettGenre: ScifiPages: 352Release Date: July 4th, 2017Publisher: Daw BooksAudience: Adult
Summary from Goodreads: Two young individuals must uncover the dark secrets of their stratified city in this suspenseful sci-fi standalone The metal City towers at the center of the mountain-ringed Heartland, standing astride the deep chasm of the Canyon like a malevolent giant, ruled with an iron fist by the First Officer and his Provosts in the name of the semi-mythical Captain. Within its corroding walls lies a stratified society, where the Officers dwell in luxury on the Twelfth Tier while the poor struggle to survive on the First and Second, and outcasts scrabble and fight for whatever they can find in the Middens, the City's rubbish heap, filling the Canyon beneath its dripping underbelly. 
Alania, ward of an Officer, lives on Twelfth. Raised among the privileged class, Alania feels as though she is some sort of pampered prisoner, never permitted to explore the many levels of the City. And certainly not allowed to leave the confines of the City for any reason. She has everything a young woman could want except a loving family and personal freedom. 
Danyl, raised by a scavenger, knows no home but the Middens. His day-to-day responsibility is to stay alive. His sole ambition is to escape from this subsistence existence and gain entrance to the City--so near and yet so far out of reach--in hopes of a better life. 
Their two very different worlds collide when Alania, fleeing from an unexpected ambush, plunges from the heights of the City down to the Middens, and into Danyl's life. 
Almost immediately, both of them find themselves pursued by the First Officer's Provosts, for reasons they cannot fathom--but which they must uncover if they are to survive. The secrets they unlock, as they flee the Canyon and crisscross the Heartland from the City's farmlands to the mountains of the north and back again, will determine not only their fate, but the fate of the City...and everyone who lives there.
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Review: This book really intrigued me with its cast kind of vibe. It reminded me of Garth Nix's Seventh Tower series that I read as a kid and loved. The story moved along quickly, but kind of got bogged down in the middle. It picked right back up again though, with awesome action scenes and suspense that will leave your mind blown. Four stars for The Cityborn.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | The Bone Queen by Alison Croggon

Title: The Bone QueenBy: Alison CroggonGenre: FantasyPages: 432Release Date: February 18th, 2016Publisher: WalkerAudience: Adult
Summary from Goodreads: Perfect for readers of Tolkien and Garth Nix, The Bone Queen is the highly anticipated prequel to the original Pellinor sequence, and will delight fans of critically acclaimed author Alison Croggon, as well as newcomers to the world of Pellinor. 
Cadvan of Lirigon, one of the most powerful Bards of his time, has been exiled from the School of Lirigon for a grievous crime that unleashed the power of the Bone Queen. Isolated and guilt-ridden, he is burdened by memories of his dealings with the Dark. Meanwhile, across Edil-Amarandh, a number of disturbing events suggest that the Bone Queen may not have been successfully banished, as was previously believed. The Light is under threat, but does Cadvan have the strength to face the Bone Queen again? 
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Review: The Bone Queen is a prequel to Alison Croggon's Pellinor series, one that I have not read yet. Reading this story, I felt bogged down, like I was trudging through waist high mud with every sentence I read. It felt like an epic fantasy, and although I read epics, this one wasn't my style. I liked the story, as much of it as I could understand and the characters were well written. This wasn't my cup of tea, but Croggon has a large fan base who will love this book.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.