Review: The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

Title: The Wide-Awake Princess
Author: E.D. Baker
Source/Format: Purchased, ebook
More Details: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Retellings
Publisher/Publication Date: Bloomsbury USA Childrens, May 11, 2010

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads...

In this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie—blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic—can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake.

But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn't possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father's guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own...

I don’t recall ever having read a book by E.D. Baker. However, The Wide-Awake Princess has been sitting unread for a long time. So, since I’m trying to get to some of the older releases this year, I decided to give this one a try.

The story is focused on Annie, who after an unfortunate incident is left awake while everyone else in the castle is asleep. She sets out in search of her sister's one true love with the hopes that she can help her family. I really do enjoy retellings. The Wide-Awake Princess had many common attributes I look for in these kinds of books. Baker included details common to stories like Sleeping Beauty, but she also added enough changes to keep the story from seeming too close to the original tales.

I liked the fact that Baker decided to put a different spin on the various princes, and focused on the fact that being magically gifted wasn’t everything. That magic also wasn’t the miraculous fix for poor personalities, and even worse habits (and questionable sources of motivation). The first few pages were enough to grab my interest, and I kept reading to see how the story turned out. Right off the bat, I had questions regarding who the true culprit was. I really had no idea who it could be. In that way, Baker did a good job of setting up the mystery and presenting a plausible situation suited for Annie’s involvement.

Annie made the best of her so called gift. She was often left to be by herself, just based off circumstance she couldn’t control. I did like her attitude about it and how she focused on the things she could do, rather than the things she hadn’t been given through magic. Along Annie’s adventures was Liam, a guard. He was perfectly caring, and ready to help where he could.

Basically, I really enjoyed The Wide-Awake Princess, and I would definitely consider checking out the other books in the series.

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: The Rose & The Dagger by Renée Ahdieh

Today, I'm excited to take part in the release day blitz for Renée Ahdieh's The Rose & Dagger. There's also an excerpt and a giveaway farther down in the post. But first, more about the book...

Title: THE ROSE & THE DAGGER

Author: Renée Ahdieh

Release Date: April 26, 2016

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Pages: 432

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iBooks 

The much anticipated sequel to the breathtaking The Wrath and the Dawn, lauded by Publishers Weekly as "a potent page-turner of intrigue and romance."

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

Praise for The Rose and the Dagger...

“Above all there is the shattering, triumphant catharsis of love… In a story about stories, love is ‘the power to speak without words.’ Thrillingly full of feeling.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Fiery romance, a spirited heroine, shifting loyalties… With more than a few heartrending twists and turns.”—Booklist 

Excerpt...

About the author...

Renée lives in North Carolina (Go Heels!) with her husband Victor and their dog Mushu. Her YA fantasy novel, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, will be published on May 12th, 2015. In her spare time, she likes to cook, dance salsa, and wreak havoc on the lives of her characters. She’s also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, as well as an active member of theScience Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.

Website| Twitter | Facebook| Goodreads | Tumblr  |Pinterest | Instagram

And now for the giveaway. One winner will receive a paperback of The Wrath & the Dawn, a hardcover of The Rose & the Dagger, and a His Calipha candle from The Melting Library’s Etsy Store (Prizes also pictured below). This giveaway is US Only and ends on May 3rd at Midnight EST! Now, go forth and enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Friday 56 (58) The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts by Maja Säfström

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

Synopsis from Goodreads...

An artfully playful collection of unexpected and remarkable facts about animals, illustrated by Swedish artist Maja Säfström.

Did you know that an octopus has three hearts? Or that ostriches can't walk backward? These and many more fascinating and surprising facts about the animal kingdom (Bees never sleep! Starfish don't have brains!) are illustrated with whimsical detail in this charming collection...

"A Tarantula can survive for more than 2 years without food! They have retractable claws on their "feet"--just like cats!"--The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts by Maja Säfström

Comments: I never wanted to know that much about spiders because I don't like them. Still, it's an interesting fact...I guess. What are you reading this week? Or, are there any books coming out soon that you're really looking forward to reading? 

Thursday Tracks #1: Janelle Monáe

Thursday Tracks is a weekly meme hosted by GoneWithTheWords, that asks you to talk about a song or an album you’ve been listening to. You can check out the rest of the rules HERE

For a while now, I’ve wanted to join a non-book related weekly meme, and Thursday Tracks seemed like a fun one to try out. I don’t know if I’ll do this meme weekly, once every other week, or once a month. Really, it just depends on what I get done. I did have a lot of fun coming up with custom artwork for this weekly meme (pictured above and below). It's green in a shade that reminds me of mint and gold, a cool color combination that I want to use a little more since it worked so well here.

Anyway, I’m going to move on since today I’m really here to talk about music...

This week I’ve been listening to a lot of Janelle Monáe. I have two of her albums—Electric Lady and The ArchAndroid, which are both fantastic—and a couple of other songs. I especially like Monáe’s music style in the albums mentioned above—and Metropolis: The Chase Suite. I would describe the music as smooth and savvy, filled with amazing songs, and catchy beats. You can listen to two of my favorite Janelle Monáe songs by clicking on the bold text below...

Listen to Electric Lady on Youtube

Listen to Sincerely, Jane on Youtube

So, that's it for today. What are you listening to this week?

{**Thursday Tracks weekly meme link is now on the Features Page**}

Review: The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts by Maja Säfström

Title: The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts
Author: Maja Säfström
Source/Format: Blogging For Books, Hardcover (review copy)
More Details: Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, Illustration
Publisher/Publication Date: Ten Speed Press, March 29, 2016
Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads...

An artfully playful collection of unexpected and remarkable facts about animals, illustrated by Swedish artist Maja Säfström. Did you know that an octopus has three hearts? Or that ostriches can't walk backward? These and many more fascinating and surprising facts about the animal kingdom (Bees never sleep! Starfish don't have brains!) are illustrated with whimsical detail in this charming collection...

When I finally got my copy of The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts, I couldn’t wait to read it. So, I put aside everything else, and read it in one sitting—literally. The book was fantastic. It was short and full of fun animal facts and cute illustrations. I knew some of the facts, but there were other’s I was surprised by—such as the one I picked for this Fridays 56. I never wanted to know that much about spiders, because ew, gross. Still, the book had many other interesting facts, and Säfström did a good job with the illustrations, which were done all in black and white.

All around, The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts was a cute, but also informative book about animals. Some of my favorite facts involved Beavers, Owls, Crocodiles, and an interesting piece of information about Moose antlers. This is the first time I’ve heard about Säfström, but I would consider checking out more of her work when it becomes available.

This copy of the book was provided by Blogging For Books (publisher) for this review, thank you!

About the Author...

MAJA SÄFSTRÖM is a Stockholm based architect and illustrator who has gained international recognition for her quirky animal drawings. For more of her works, visit: www.majasbok.se