#backlistboost Friday

Hi everyone!!

It’s time for #backlistboost Friday, again!! This week I’d like to showcase a book that I first read and reviewed back in August of 2015: Get in Trouble: Stories by Kelly Link.

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I know that I say this every time that I get the chance (so, obviously, I’m going to say it again!), I LOVE short stories!!! Guys, this is honestly my favorite book of short stories to date. The stories in this cross genres of fantasy, myths, and urban legends in an organic way. Link’s writing is completely brilliant, and I was absorbed from the very beginning. This was the first of her books that I read, but it certainly wasn’t the last. There is a reason that I grabbed a book strictly based on her endorsement being on it (the previously boosted Glittering World), and I didn’t regret it for a second. If you’re a fan of the above mentioned genres, and don’t mind your short stories with a little bit of creepiness, this may just be the collection for you! I hope you love it as much as I do!

You can find my original review here: Get in Trouble: Stories

 

 

Checking In!

Hi all!

Sorry I’ve been MIA, but I’ve had virtually no signal since I’ve been on vacation & just now realized that my scheduled posts have not been posting for some reason. Ugh!!

I’ll have to address that when I arrive back home this weekend & have normal wi-fi. In the meantime, here’s a pic of Clete & I at Black Canyon as proof of life & I hope you’re all having a great week so far!!

Always,

-T

#backlistboost Friday

Hi all!!

So, I’m jumping in on the Backlist Boost every Friday, and I’m so excited about sharing some of my favorite backlist books with you guys!!

This week for #backlistboost I want to talk about The Crown’s Game duology by Evelyn Skye.

I didn’t dig waaay in to the backlist for these, as The Crown’s Game was released in 2016 with The Crown’s Fate following in 2017. This is, however, one of my absolute favorite series that I recommend all the time.

This duology has everything that I love in it! It has magic, rich world building, beautiful imagery, characters that you come to love and root for, and a plot that keeps the story moving at a great pace. These were both five star reads for me, and are books that I come back to often. If this sounds like your kind of read, give them a try and let me know what you think!!

You can read my original review with a lot more details of these books here:

The Crown’s Game

The Crown’s Fate (Crown’s Game book 2) *Spoilers, if you haven’t read The Crown’s Game yet!!*

 

Percy Jackson Live Follow-Up

Hey Guys!!

Sorry it took me a while to get back to you, but this week was bananas!!!

So, in my last post, I was headed to Dallas with my sis-in-law to see The Lightening Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. It was worth every penny and the drive up there!!! It was so much fun!!

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For those of you who are Percy fans, it was DEFINITELY more true to the story than the movie *rolls eyes* That is to say, it doesn’t follow the book exactly. It definitely took some liberties with the story and changed some things, but it didn’t take the story, tear it apart, add in pieces from another book, and then burn them both to the ground. It really was great! I wish that I could see it again. The actors that were chosen were great, and the songs were wonderful (I’m sad that I didn’t buy the soundtrack). They really did a great job putting the book in to a couple of hour musical. If you are a musical fan and get the chance to see it, I highly recommend it!

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Have You Met Uncle Rick?!

Hey Everyone! 

I hope you’ve all had an amazing week! Mine has ben incredibly long, but my excitement about this weekend is pretty much eclipsing it all! That is actually what the inspiration behind this post is. 

I know that I have told you all before how big of a Rick Riordan fan I am, especially the Percy Jackson world. I am heading out of town with my sister-in-law this weekend to go see The Lightening Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical! You guys! I am so excited!! 

With that being said, I thought that I would make a post to introduce everyone to Rick Riordan’s (affectionately known as Uncle Rick) Worlds. 

Here we go! 

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians (complete)

5 books

6 companion books

1 illustrated book

3 graphic novels

1 coloring book

This is probably the most well known of Riordan’s series, and the beginning of the “middle grade/YA adventures”. This is where we meet 12-year old Percy, who has some personal issues. Come to find out, those issues are due to his being the Demi-God some of Poseidon. We then get to follow Percy and his friends on their epic quest, after it is believed (by Zeus and the other Gods) that Percy stole Zeus’ master lightening bolt. 

This was my introduction to Riordan’s work, and I fell in love from the start. I loved Percy’s snark, the laughs and adventures contained within, and that he wrote strong female characters. This series is also a great way to introduce kids (or adults!) to Greek Mythology, as they’ll learn and have a great time doing it! 

The Heroes of Olympus (complete)

5 books

2 companion books (shares with PJO)

1 graphic novel

1 coloring book (shares with PJO)

This is the series that follows the events of the final book of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It’s really just a continuation of the series. We see the same characters from the original series, and meet new characters in the form of the Roman Demi-Gods. I, personally, believe that these books continue to get better and better as they go. Just as a side note, my favorite book in the run falls in this series. It’s the third book in HOO: Mark of Athena. These books are definitely “Percy” books, but maybe a bit more grown up than the first series (not so much that kiddos won’t be able to move from one to the other, they just grow from one book series to the next, so the tone grows with them). While I truly enjoy all of his MG series, if pressed, I would say that this is my favorite. I really loved the addition of the Romans in this series, and thought that they added so much depth and fun. If you enjoy PJO, you have to continue on to HOO! 

The Kane Chronicles (complete)

3 books

3 companion books (1 crossover shared w/PJO)

2 graphic novels

This series follows Carter and Sadie Kane, who were split up after their mother died. Sadie went to live with their grandparents, while Carter travelled with their Egyptologist father. When their father brought them back together in an attempt to make things right, everything went terribly wrong. He unleashed the Egyptian God, Set, who banished him and sent the Kane children fleeing from the waking Egyptian Gods. They then set off on an adventure that takes them around the globe in an attempt to stop Set and find out the truth about their family and themselves. 

Where PJO and HOO focused on Greek and Roman mythology, The Kane Chronicles treats the reader to all of the fun that comes from Egyptian mythology. Reading this series, you will definitely be able to recognize Riordan’s voice as this carries the same wit and humor as his other series’. 

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (ongoing)

3 books (so far)

1 companion book

Magnus has lived on the streets of Boston since the night that his mom told him to flee their home. Something killed her the night, and left Magnus to survive on his own. Now someone is looking for him, his Uncle Randall, the one that his mother warned him about. Magnus falls right in to his trap, and once captured Randall begins to spout nonsense about Norse history and some weapon that has been lost for thousands of years that is supposedly Magnus’ birthright? Magnus remembers being told stories of the Norse Gods and the Doomsday to come, but they are not incredibly clear. When the fire giant, Surt, attacks the city Magnus must choose between his personal safety and that of others. His choice marked the end…and a whole new beginning for him. 

This series, obviously, focuses on Norse mythology and is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. It is closely behind HOO in the order of favorites for me. It has some of the most interesting and complex characters of any of the series that Riordan has written, in my opinion. The world building is beautiful and detailed. If you note the last name, Magnus is Annabeth from PJO/HOO’s cousin, so we have gotten to see a little bit of crossover in seeing Annabeth and Percy pop up in the series, so far! I can’t wait for the next book to see what happens next! 

The Trials of Apollo (ongoing)

 3 books (Book 4 coming on September 24th)

1 companion book (shares with PJO/HOO)

This book takes us back to the world of Percy Jackson and the Camp Half-Blood life. Set after the events of HOO, we find the God Apollo has been cast out of Olympus by Zeus for his part in the events that took place. When he lands in New York, he has taken the form of a regular teenaged boy with no powers and no protection and he must find a way to earn Zeus’ favor before all of the other Gods and monsters find a way to destroy him for good. There’s only one place to go, if he can make it there alive, Camp Half-Blood. 

I am really enjoying this series and being back in the Camp Half-Blood world. It is not fully set in the PJO/HOO world, but we do get to see some of the characters come in and out pretty regularly throughout the books. Apollo was always a pretty funny God in the previous series’, and that is no exception here. The partner that he has in Meg just makes it even better. I have September’s release pre-ordered, and am looking forward to a fun read! 

Tres Navarre (complete?)

7 books

This is an adult mystery series about a P.I. who returns to his Texas home town to save the one-time love of his life and solve his father’s murder a decade after it happened. 

The last book that was written in this series was published in 2007, so I am assuming that it is complete, however I am unsure of that. I hav not read this series, but I do have it on my tbr. This is Riordan’s only adult series, but if it is anything like the rest, it has to be great! 

 

I hope you guys enjoyed meeting Uncle Rick and learning about his body of work (or hearing my thoughts on it, if you already knew!). I’ll let you know how the musical was when I get back! Have a great weekend!!!

 

Always,

-T

My Unannounced Hiatus

Hi all-

I feel like I owe you all a bit of an explanation for my suddenly falling off of the face of the Earth for a while. I’m not sure how great of an explanation that I can give you other than to say that I felt that I had to take a hiatus for a while for my mental health. It was literally all that I could do to keep up with my work and basic home responsibilities. I am sure that some of you have been there and know that feeling, and for those that haven’t, I truly hope that you never do. I am on my way back on an upswing, so my postings should be coming back more scheduled and I should be catching up. Thank you all for hanging with me.

Always,

-T

Blood Oath (The Blood War Chronicles, Book 3)

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Author: Quincy J. Allen

Series: The Blood War Chronicles

Genre: Steampunk/Western

Publisher: RuneWright LLC

Pages: 264

This third book in The Blood War Chronicles finds Ghiss and some of Orfeo’s minions seeking out a relic that could lead them to Corina. With Corina as Orfeo’s captive, they could start the demon apocalypse and ignite a war that would lead to the destruction of world after world. Jake and his gang have received some intel that may put them a step ahead of Ghiss and the others, though, so they leave Corina behind and head out. Their journey leads them to cross a passage to another world that once held the heart of a demon civilization. They must then survive the trip through the corrupted forest and in to the ancient keep that is still hungry for fresh meat. Jake will risk his soul and sacrifice much in his quest to keep the relic out of Ghiss’ hands. The battle of The Third Demon War has begun. 

I have really enjoyed this series, and I truly think that it is getting better with each installment. I particularly loved this book, because Skeeter! She was so wonderfully developed and really grew in this book. I enjoyed her character before, but I just love her now. There was a lot of great action and adventure, as always. The world building expanded even more, and was beautifully and imaginatively written. As with the previous two books, I did not want this ride to end! Seriously, if you’re looking for an out of the box fantasy adventure, try this series out. It’s so much fun! 

Ugh…So bad

I’m so sorry that I’ve been pretty much absent since 24in48 ended! I wound up sick almost immediately following, and I’m still in recovery mode. I’m slowly returning to normal, from what we’re fairly sure was flu, and I’ll be back to posting as normal in no time! Thanks for hanging with me guys!!! 
Always, 

-T