Book Review: Odd and the Fost Giants

Written by Neil Gaiman, I had high hopes for this novel. I picked it up just because he wrote it. And it is based in traditional Norse mythology, which I am interested in, but do not know well enough. I picked this up last night to read by candlelight, when I was sitting there freezing with no power or heat since I needed something with slightly larger print.

I just now realized the appropriateness of reading a story with frost giants while freezing.

Anyway, this novel was amazing. I read it all in one sitting. It is a kid's novel, so it's not very long. About 120 pages. But it is definitely something to be enjoyed by everyone. Also, I feel the need to point out that there are several full-page illustrations, that are very well done. IMHO, it's much better than the art in his other books.

Book Review: The Folk Keeper

This book was amazing. It's told from the point-of-view of Corin/Corinna as written in her diary. Corinna a girl pretending to be a boy (Corin) who is a "folk keeper". It's her job to keep the "folk" (or faeries) from spoiling the milk, killing the livestock, and otherwise causing mischief. It started a little slow, and while it's not a book I would call "exciting" it is very interesting and definitely worth the read. It's obvious from chapter one that Corinna is no ordinary girl. She has gifts, and we learn what they are as the story progresses, and she finds out how extraordinary she is.


While googling for a picture of the cover, I found the cover below. I have the top cover, but I think I want the bottom cover.

Movie Review: Whip It

I read this book back when Whip It was in theaters. Unfortunately, it was in and out so fast, I missed it. It came out on DVD earlier this week. I bought it the day it came out and watched it that evening. It was amazing! Very funny. I knew when I read the book that they cast Bliss well. Ellen Page was so great in Juno, and this character had quite a few similarities. I highly recommend this to anyone when they need something funny.

Also, please check out the soundtrack. There's some good stuff on there, and it's pretty diverse.

Book Review: Radiant Shadows

OMG! I was very lucky to win an ARC (advanced readers copy) of Radiant Shadows by the absolutely fabulous Melissa Marr. And this book was definitely my favorite. I love Ani. She's one of the most interesting characters in the series. And Devlin. *swoon* He's my new favorite guy. Definitely look for this one on the shelves in mid-April. And in the meantime read WICKED LOVELY, INK EXCHANGE, and FRAGILE ETERNITY.


And don't forget the manga series: SANCTUARY and CHALLENGE (which hits stores early April).

Book Review: Beautiful Creatures

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

My new favorite book! Beautiful Creatures by debut authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, book one in the Caster Chronicles, is a paranormal romance that takes place in the south. It is filled with mysterious characters, some evil and others charming. It is written through Ethan's POV. Which is different because I haven't read a lot of books from a first person, male POV. And I love Ethan. He is such a sweet guy. Perfect, yet believable. And his love interest, Lena. You root for them right from the start. Link, Amma, and Macon help make the ensemble one of my favorites.

I highly recommend this amazing southern gothic YA. I didn't know there was going to be more until I was in the middle of the book and recently found out there will be five books. I can't wait for the next one: Beautiful Darkness.

And something I wanted to share: this book was started and finished on a dare from the authors' teenagers. Thanks to those teens as well as Kami and Margaret.

Books vs. Movies

I watched this movie years ago when it first came out in theaters. I loved it. But I had heard many negative reviews on account of it was very different from the books. I finally read the book, and they were right. It barely resembles the same story. But to be honest, I loved them both. A quick, fun read for little girls and women who are little girls at heart.


I had heard great things about the Georgia Nicholson series. And when I heard it was a movie (Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging - made in 2008 but aired Jan 1, 2010 in the US), I had to read it. I finished it on New Years Day so I could watch the movie that night. Both were hysterical. It's definitely targeted at teen girls. The boys I baby-sit tried to watch it... until they gave up trying to figure out what the characters were talking about. Have I mentioned that I love Britsh slang? When you need a silly movie to lift your mood, check this one out.

I've owned NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST for a while, both the book and movie. I love Michael Cera, which was the main reason I wanted to see it. But I needed to read it first. I didn't enjoy the book as much as I was hoping I would. But I did love the movie. One of the rare instances where I liked the movie more.

THE LIGHTNING THIEF is book 1 in the Percy Jackson series. He finds out that he is a demi-god, and is father is one of the big 3 (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades). The movie comes out next month, which caused me to movie the book up my TBR list. I loved it. It was a fast-paced, action book, and I think anyone who loved Harry will love Percy. The best way to describe it would be "a modern day Hercules story".

Book Review: What the Mouse Found, To Find a Wonder, Tales of Beedle the Bard, and Angelic

It's been a while since I've posted, so I'm going to cover several books in this post. First, WHAT THE MOUSE FOUND an anthology of stories for children by Charles de Lint. Since he's one of my favorite authors, I bought the special edition through Subterranean Press. It was quick and sweet. Tip and the Lion was my favorite story. Though these were written for children, they can be enjoyed by all ages.


Remember Braleigh, my lovely faery doll made by Jennifer Carson? Well here she is reading TO FIND A WONDER, another sweet children's story written by Jennifer Carson. Like so many tales for kids, they are great for adults as well. This story is about the squire Mortimer who is challenged to find a "wonder" in order for him to become a knight.

TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD, the most current read by JK Rowling. These five tales were supposedly translated by Hermione and analyzed by Dumbledore under the pretext that they are fairy tales for wizard children. The tales are charming, but not nearly as enjoyable as any of the Harry Potter books. Babbitty Rabbitty is my favorite story.