ARC Review: Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks

Title: Finding Serendipity 
Author: Angelica Banks
Source/Format: Won, ARC
More Details: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Henry Holt and Co., February 3, 2015

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Summary from Goodreads...

When Tuesday McGillycuddy and her beloved dog, Baxterr, discover that Tuesday’s mother—the famous author Serendipity Smith—has gone missing, they set out on a magical adventure. In their quest to find Serendipity, they discover the mysterious and unpredictable place that stories come from. Here, Tuesday befriends the fearless Vivienne Small, learns to sail an enchanted boat, tangles with an evil pirate, and discovers the truth about her remarkable dog. Along the way, she learns what it means to be a writer and how difficult it can sometimes be to get all the way to The End.

It took me a couple of days to finally just sit down and write this review. Not because I didn’t like this book, but for the simple fact that I had to figure out what I wanted to say without spoiling it for everyone else. When I first read the synopsis for this book I was excited to read it. It just seemed like my kind of story. And I have to say that it not only reached my expectations but exceeded them. Finding Serendipity is a gorgeously spun tale about a place where stories can live and breathe, and the adventures of a girl who sets out to find her mother, Serendipity Smith.

I loved this book. The concept of it was just awesome and done so well that I had a hard time putting this book down. The setting, wow, I loved everything about it—the idea behind it clearly had some thought to it and the execution of the details made it easy to get immersed in the story.

As far as characters go, I really liked Tuesday McGillycuddy. On the day that she thinks Serendipity will finally be able to take some time off she finds that her mother has mysteriously gone missing. And she was worried, which was entirely understandable. So, one thing led to another and Tuesday ends up in a place where she thinks she’ll find her mother. The way she got there was just…I don’t even know what to say about it besides that it was definitely something I haven’t read before, and entirely entertaining to watch unfold. It was one of the numerous aspects that I liked about Finding Serendipity. Ok, now I’m going to talk about the dog, Baxterr. I loved Baxterr! He was faithful and helpful to Tuesday and he was just such a nice addition to the story. I could go on and on about all of the various characters but that would kind of be a spoiler so I’m just going to stop now. I’ll just leave it at the fact that they were all great!

All in all, Finding Serendipity was an entirely enjoyable book, and while it might be considered middle grade, I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read it. The only thing I really have to say that could even remotely be considered a complaint is that I wish there was a sequel, because I would totally read it.

Cover Reveal: Balance Keepers: The Pillars of Ponderay by Lindsay Cummings

Today the cover for book two of the Balance Keepers series by Lindsay Cummings is being revealed. The Pillars of Ponderay will be released September 22, 2015. Check out the cover below!

About the book...

Albert Flynn is psyched to return to the Core, the magical world at the center of the earth where Balance Keepers fix problems in three underground Realms. Last term, Albert and his Balance Keeper teammates Birdie and Leroy saved New York by fixing the Calderon Realm and were crowned First Unit, aka the Coolest Kids in the Core.
Now Albert and his teammates have been called to the Core for an emergency training session…along with their archenemy, Hoyt. There’s a horrible Imbalance in the Ponderay Realm and they have only seven days before California will be swallowed by hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Worse yet, it’s rumored there’s a traitor among them who is causing all this chaos.

Will Albert, Leroy, and Birdie discover who’s been putting the Core—and the world above—in danger? Can they save Ponderay before California becomes an underwater wasteland forever?

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Don't forget to visit the author online...

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Discussion: On the importance of taking a break…

On the importance of taking a break…

Most of the time blogging is fun for me, but even then I still need breaks from it. Early last week I read a book that I didn’t like and ended up DNFing—I’m not naming names—needless to say, it completely threw me off. I ended up taking the rest of the week off since my posts were already scheduled. I found that I had absolutely no enthusiasm to pick up another book.

And I have to say that I think I needed that time away to just do other things. The extra time allowed me to come up with some new ideas for the blog—a new header that I’m currently putting the finishing touches on. And now with a new week I feel ready to get back to reading and blogging. So, this week is going to be kind of slow. As for what I’m currently reading, well I’m not at the moment, but I hope to start something soon.

What do you think? Do you occasionally need time away from something, even if you enjoy it?

The Friday 56 (21)

 The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

"I reach the wall and turn right, the sun beating down above us in violent waves. I wish he would have told me we were doing this today. I would have dressed in lighter clothes, like shorts and a tank instead of pants."--Hover Melissa West


What's on your page 56 this week?

Review: Hover by Melissa West

Title: Hover
Author: Melissa West
Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback
More Details: YA, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Entangled Teen, August 13, 2013

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Summary from Goodreads...

On Earth, seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander was taught to never peek, but if she hopes to survive life on her new planet, Loge, her eyes must never shut. Because Zeus will do anything to save the Ancients from their dying planet, and he has a plan.

Thousands of humans crossed over to Loge after a poisonous neurotoxin released into Earth's atmosphere, nearly killing them. They sought refuge in hopes of finding a new life, but what they became were slaves, built to wage war against their home planet. That is, unless Ari and Jackson can stop them. But on Loge, nothing is as it seems...and no one can be trusted...

I don’t know if this is going to be a thing, but I have to say that the dystopian books that I’ve decided to read this year have been really good. Hover is a sequel to Gravity, which is a book I read a long time ago, so I was curious to see where the story was going. Some of the details I’ve forgotten about—but not too much to where I couldn’t get back into the story. I have to say that I really liked Hover.

Loge as a setting was interesting. The landscape was vastly different from what I remember of the setting from Gravity. The transition between the two books really highlights the differences between the two worlds, and it was easy to see where some of the characters got their motivation.

Ari Alexander’s life on Loge was immensely different from the one she lived on earth. I liked seeing how she dealt with the sudden changes. Jackson and Ari’s relationship was an aspect of the story that I really enjoyed. They worked well together, and I liked the dynamic of it. West did an excellent job conveying the emotional turmoil that they experienced the longer they were on Loge as Ari learned more about Jackson’s past. Every time Zeus would pop up I just…*glare.* Seriously, I didn’t like Zeus at all, he was manipulative, coldhearted, and it seemed like he ended up losing himself no matter if his original intentions were for the benefit of his people or not. Also, he was calculating…seriously, he was. But that was part of the suspense that surrounded the story—there was just no telling what Zeus was going to do next.

The plot, while slow at times, was nice. I’m not going to specify because I don’t want to reveal anything. But just know that I completely enjoyed Hover. And now, I’m curious to know how the trilogy ends.