Category: blogging

About The Book:

A luminous story of a young artist grappling with first love, family boundaries, and the complications of a cross-cultural relationship. Perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon, Erika Sanchez, and Jandy Nelson.

Rani Kelkar has never lied to her parents until she meets Oliver. The same qualities that draw her in–his tattoos, his charisma, his passion for art–make him her mother’s worst nightmare.

They begin dating in secret, but when Oliver’s troubled home life unravels, he starts to ask more of Rani than she knows how to give, desperately trying to fit into her world, no matter how high the cost. When a twist of fate leads Rani from Evanston, Illinois to Pune, India for a summer, she has a reckoning with herself–and what’s really brewing beneath the surface of her first love.

Winner of SCBWI’s Emerging Voices award, Anuradha D. Rajurkar takes an honest look at the ways cultures can clash in an interracial relationship. Braiding together themes of sexuality, artistic expression, and appropriation, she gives voice to a girl claiming ownership of her identity, one shattered stereotype at a time.

About The Author:

Anuradha D. Rajurkar is the national recipient of the SCBWI Emerging Voices Award for her contemporary debut novel, American Betiya. Born and raised in the Chicago area to Indian immigrant parents, Anuradha earned two degrees from Northwestern University, and for many years had the joy of being a public school teacher by day, writer by night.

Nowadays, when she’s not writing or reading, you can find Anuradha exploring the shores of Lake Michigan with her family, obsessing over her garden, watching old horror flicks with her sons, eating too many baked yummies, or roguishly knitting sweaters without their patterns. She hopes her stories will inspire teens to embrace their unique identities and inner badass despite outside pressures and cultural expectations. American Betiya releases on March 9, 2021, by Knopf Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House.

Since reading the synopsis of this I quickly added it to my wishlist as it sounds really interesting and I have to admit I really like the cover.

As sweet as a macaron from Laduree, with writing as crisp as a freshly baked baguette, this romantic novel set in Paris about an American ballerina and a charming French boy is parfait for fans of American Royals and Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Mia Jenrow has always known she’s destined to be a professional ballerina. In fact, it’s in her blood—according to family legend, her too-many-greats-to-count-grandmother once danced for the Paris Opera and was painted by Degas himself! Her parents say it’s just a fantasy, but to Mia it’s so much more than that. It’s her fate.

Mia is planning to spend a magical summer in France pursuing her dream, but as she pirou-ettes into Paris, she soon realizes it may be a bit more complicated than she hoped. For starters, there’s her rival, Audrey, who will stop at nothing to show her up. There’s her ballet instructor, whose impossibly high standards push her to the breaking point. And then . . . there’s Louis. Devastatingly, distractingly charming Louis. He’s eager to show Mia his city—and Mia is more than happy to hop on his Vespa and wrap her arms around him as they pass the gleaming lights of the Eiffel Tower.

Mia’s summer was supposed to be about ballet—but there’s a reason Paris is called the City of Love. . . .

About the Author:

Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau is a bilingual French author of young adult fiction and nonfiction. Her books have been translated into seven languages. Kisses and Croissants (Random House Delacorte Press, 2021) is her U.S. debut. After graduating from university in France, she moved to Amsterdam to begin a career in advertising. She then spent a few years in Melbourne before settling in New York City, where she lives with her Australian husband. Find her on social media @asjouhanneau.

 

 

 

This is definitely on my wishlist of books to pick up as it sounds really good. I am excited to hear Anne-Sophie speak at this event.

About The Author:

Erica S. Perl is the author of many popular and critically acclaimed books for young readers. Her novels include All Three Stooges,  When Life Gives You O.J. (Sydney Taylor Notable Award, Amazon Best Book of the Month, P.J. Our Way selection), Aces Wild (NPR Best Books of the Year, P.J. Our Way selection) and The Capybara Conspiracy: A Novel in Three Acts. Erica’s picture books include Chicken Butt!, Goatilocks and the Three Bears, and Ferocious Fluffity. She is a crowd-pleasing presenter at schools, libraries, and community events. Erica honed her skills working as a trial lawyer in New York City, and, before that, studying theater and driving an ice cream truck. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, daughters, and dogs.

The Books:

You know what?
What?
Chicken butt!

The classic schoolyard joke has been recast as an irreverent picture book, with call-and-response parts for parent and child. The word repetition in Erica S. Perl”s text, and wonderfully comic illustrations by beloved artist Henry Cole, make this a particularly inviting book for new readers, as does the opportunity to “trick” a parent or other adult into participating in a very silly joke. The humor builds to a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Warning: Kids will want to read this one over and over and over again!

Other Picture Books:

The Ninth Night of Hanukkah
Ferocious Fluffity
Totally Tardy Marty
Goatilocks
King of the Zoo
Dotty
Ninety Three in My Family

Chapter Books/Early Readers:

The Lucky Dogs
Truth or Lie? (series)
Arnold and Louise (series)
Craftily Ever After (series)

 

Veronica Walsh is 15, fashion-minded, fat, and friendless. Her summer job in the Consignment Corner section (Employees Only!) of a vintage clothing store is a dream come true. There Veronica can spend her days separating the one-of-a-kind gem garments from the Dollar-a-Pound duds, without having to deal with people. But when two outrageous yet charismatic salesgirls befriend her and urge her to spy on and follow the mysterious and awkward stock boy Veronica has nicknamed the Nail, Veronica’s summer takes a turn for the weird. Suddenly, what began as a prank turns into something else entirely. This means Veronica may have to come out of hiding and follow something even riskier for the first time: her heart.

 

 

Other Novels:

All Three Stooges
The Capybara Conspiracy
Aces Wild
When Life Gives You O.J.

 

 

For some reason when I say Erica’s name on the list of authors that would be appearing at MTL YA Fest it rang a bell as I have heard that name before, so I instantly had to look her up online and when I went into her website to check the books she wrote, I realized how I recognized her, she wrote two picture books that Michael absolutely loved Chicken Butt and Chicken Butt’s Back. It brought back so many memories of us cuddled up on the couch reading the books over and over again.

 

About The Author:

June Hur was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. She began writing her debut novel after obsessing over books about Joseon Korea. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through nature or journaling at a coffee shop. She is the author of The Silence of Bones, The Forest of Stolen Girls, and The Red Palace, published by Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, and she currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.

 

 

 

 

The Books:

June Hur”s elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody YA historical mystery tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh.

I have a mouth, but I mustn”t speak;
Ears, but I mustn”t hear;
Eyes, but I mustn”t see.

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she”s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman”s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

Suspenseful and richly atmospheric, June Hur”s The Forest of Stolen Girls is a haunting historical mystery sure to keep readers guessing until the last page.

1426, Joseon (Korea). Hwani”s family has never been the same since she and her younger sister went missing and were later found unconscious in the forest near a gruesome crime scene.

Years later, Detective Min-Hwani”s father-learns that thirteen girls have recently disappeared from the same forest that nearly stole his daughters. He travels to their hometown on the island of Jeju to investigate. only to vanish as well.

Determined to find her father and solve the case that tore their family apart, Hwani returns home to pick up the trail. As she digs into the secrets of the small village-and collides with her now estranged sister, Maewol-Hwani comes to realize that the answer could lie within her own buried memories of what happened in the forest all those years ago.

Upcoming Release:

June Hur, critically acclaimed author of The Silence of Bones and The Forest of Stolen Girls, returns with The Red Palace-a third evocative, atmospheric historical mystery perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Kerri Maniscalco.

To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood…

Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father”s approval.

But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon”s closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher”s innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation.

In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed.

Just a reminder that SYNC Summer Audiobooks is now available. You can pick up a free audiobook or audiobooks if you decided to read both for free. This week’s selection is available from May 13th to 19th.

About The Book:

Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own. Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

About the Audiobook:

In this Chinese-inspired fantasy, narrator Nancy Wu makes Princess Hesina’s reluctance to be heir to the throne fully believable. When her father is murdered and Hesina becomes queen at age 17, Wu transforms her as she learns to focus on the well-being of her subjects while also finding out who killed the king. Wu maintains a well-balanced pace through the extensive world-building as she weaves an atmosphere of political intrigue. She draws upon a broad range of voices to help the listener navigate the complex plot. Wu also proves to be adept at using tone to distinguish older people who seek to advise Hesina, particularly her mother and senior military advisors, from her contemporaries.

About The Audiobook:

Kenneth Williams–best known from the British “Carry On” films–gives an extravagantly theatrical performance of Waley’s adaptation of a Chinese classic (JOURNEY TO THE WEST), matching the fantastic world of the story, filled with Chinese deities and monsters and Monkey’s larger-than-life shenanigans. Williams provides many character voices, some rather silly, rolls his r’s, exclaims, declaims, and verbally “carries on,” but avoids going over the top by changing to a sedate narration at well-chosen intervals. He fills China with an assortment of British class and regional accents, but it works. An echoing sound in this archival recording, no worse than in some theatrical recordings, fades from notice without distracting. It’s a bravura performance of a delightful text; Naxos deserves thanks for making a great listening pleasure available again.

This week I am really excited to download Descendant of the Crane by Joan He. This has been on my TBR since it first came out. Not sure why I never read it and its been sitting on my shelf since I bought it so now is the perfect time to listen and read the book.

I am also curious about Monkey as well. So I might give that one a try too.

Have you read either of these?

 

 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the tour for TWO super fun books! THE TOOT FAIRY & CHEESEMAKER DURDSDEN by Mark Huffman, hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Books:

Title: THE TOOT FAIRY
Author: Mark Huffman, Dawn Davidson (Illustrator)
Pub. Date: February 9, 2021
Publisher:  Brown Books Kids
Pages: 32

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find
it: Goodreads,
Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo,
TBD, Bookshop.org

 ‘A good giggle. In this day and age, it’s fun to read something so…’refreshing’!”

– Craig Smith, Award-Winning International Bestselling Author of The
Wonky Donkey

”Sorry, Walter the Farting Dog. I think it’s fair to say that this is probably the best picture book about toots I’ve ever read. Take my advice and put away your scruples. You shouldn’t turn up your nose at this.”
– Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production, School Library Journal

”Wish I had thought of it first!”

– Adam Rex, Author/Illustrator of On Account of the Gum

When it’s time for Jessa the fairy to proclaim what kind of fairy she wants to be, she accidentally says ”toot” instead of ”tooth!” Now she’ll be in charge of finding all the toots from all the bottoms in the world. This is not exactly what she had in mind..

 

Title: CHEESEMAKER DURDSDEN
Author: Mark Huffman, Dawn Davidson (Illustrator)
Pub. Date: May 4, 2021
Publisher:  Brown Books Pub Group
Pages: 32

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find
it: Goodreads,
Amazon, B&N,
TBD,
Bookshop.org

 

Cheesemaker Durdsden could hardly be called a cheesemaker, with how bland, rubbery, and
flavorless his cheese tasted. And so, in order to better his skills and silence
the critics, he went in search of any and every cheesemaking technique he could
learn. That way, he could make cheese to be envied by every cheesemaker, and
savored by every cheese enthusiast. Now he’s back with new skills, and some
suspiciously delicious–deliciously suspicious–cheese to prove it. How could a
man with such boring cheese before now make this tasty cheesy treat? You’ll
never guess what fabled creature holds the secret to Cheesemaker Durdsden’s
sudden success!

 

I first have to thank RockStar Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of this tour and for ebook copies of The Toot Fairy and the Cheesemaker Durdsden for my review.

The Toot Fairy is Mark’s debut children’s picture book. It’s the story of a fairy named Jessa and she is thrilled because she is now able to toss a coin in the fountain and proclaim what job she wants to do only things don’t go according to plan because Jessa is missing her front tooth and when she makes her declaration instead of TOOTH she says TOOT. Jessa is heartbroken but when Poobums the Pungent appears and talks about her task moving forward she realizes it’s not as bad as it sounds. Even though she isn’t taking any teeth away she is leaving a quarter behind for every toot.

The second book Cheesemaker Durdsden is the story of a cheesemaker who loves cheese but can’t make it right because no one likes his cheese. He sets out on a journey to gain as much knowledge and technique on how to make the perfect cheese that will rival his competitors. When he returns back with the perfect cheese the village is amazed and whats to know his secret because they are curious. When he shows them how he did it I admit I might have gagged a little. Let’s just say that I sadly would be passing on his cheese.

 

About Mark:

Mark Huffman writes about our shared human
experiences, which is a pretentious way to say that he writes about toots and
bottoms and food. He prepared for writing children’s books by spending much of
his early life as an actual child. Unlike other children’s authors he might
name who have spuriously claimed the title, he is a real doctor. He lives with
his family in Texas.

Website | Twitter
|Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway Details:

2
winners will receive a finished copy of THE TOOT FAIRY & CHEESEMAKER
DURDSDEN, US Only.

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I am so excited that EREBUS DAWNING by A.J. Super is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon GC courtesy of AJ & Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

 

About The Book:

Title: EREBUS DAWNING:A Space Opera Adventure (Seven Stars Saga, #1)
Author: A.J. Super
Pub. Date: May 11, 2021
Publisher: Aethon Books
Pages: 410
Formats: Paperback, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle,
Audible

Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!

“Those who can destroy a world can control the universe.”

Everyone wants the Star of Erebus. Space-pirate Nyx Marcus is no exception.

With it, she can prove to her father that she is worthy of his legacy. But she’s come up empty-handed aboard the space-ship Thanatos and now Malcam, her father’s First Officer, is mutinying. As Nyx flees with a loyal skeleton crew, she discovers that the planet-killing weapon, named after one of the seven gods, is more than what it seems. Erebus isn’t a simple weapon, but an ancient

AI and a technological god. With the oppressive Queen of the Protectorate and new pirate captain Malcam searching for the Thanatos and Erebus, the AI god has more surprises for Nyx. Waking dormant AI code in Nyx’s blood, Erebus reveals they are family and Nyx is the head of the Seven Stars pantheon. But while Nyx’s only choice is to protect Erebus, she wants no part of her AI responsibilities. Now Nyx must learn to control her power without sacrificing her own humanity or give her enemies a new way to oppress the known universe and lose the family she holds dear.

 

Excerpt:

Nyx hovered near the closed door to the command deck of the Thanatos. The slight increase in gravity pulled her down. Malcam and Kai hadn’t followed her—yet. C’est bon. She gripped the door frame with her fingertips as she swung her feet to the floor. No use falling through the sliding hatch and onto her face as the gravity shifted from the corridor’s low gees to whatever level was present on
the bridge.

 

She floated inches above the ground, heart racing. Sneaking away from the main boarding party to get here was still a dereliction of duty. All so she could prove to her father that she was the legacy of his ship, the Medusa, and the rightful new captain.

 

Nyx put her hand on the door pad. The harsh red glow indicated locked.

 

“Come on, connard,” she swore in Queen’s Speech. “Work.” Her heartbeat accelerated more. It wouldn’t be long before someone noticed she had abandoned her post taking command of Engineering with the boarding party. Her job was to control the ship from there. But if she wanted to deliver her father’s obsession to him, she needed to be on the command deck. If she didn’t, there would be consequences.

 

Fingers shaking, Nyx yanked an electrical panel next to the pad off the wall, exposing a tangle of wires. A spray of sparks showered her long hair, but she quickly brushed them aside. An arc of blue shocked her fingertips as she disengaged the lock on the door. “Putain,” she swore again. Nyx shook the tingling from her quivering fingers. Acrid smoke poured from the open panel, and the blackened air burned her throat.

 

She bit her lip, placing her hand on the pad by the hatch. She knew what she would walk into. The Medusa’s Communications Officer had hacked and reprogrammed the Thanatos’ Ship Interface Android—Sia, for short—to run the ship into the edge of a singularity and forcibly take over the bridge while the crew was working to get off the edge of the black hole. The deck would be a bloodbath. The Medusa’s CO would have programmed Sia to leave only Captain Leo Matthews alive, since he knew where the planet-killing weapon, the Star of Erebus, was. Where her father’s obsession was.

 

The door whooshed open, and Nyx stumble-stepped onto the second level of the amphitheater-style deck and stared. Her gut flipped as she regained normal gravity.

 

Bodies were slumped over their workstations or crumpled onto the floor. The crew lay in puddles of blood, some still with weapons drawn. She exhaled heavily and furrowed her brow, leaning on the hatch-frame. Everyone was dead.

 

About A.J. Super:

Angela Super earned two Bachelors’ degrees from the University of Idaho in the Creative Writing and Theater programs. She has been an author since she was old enough to write (and illustrate) a stapled-together ABC book, which she still has packed away in a box of childhood memorabilia.
Currently, she lives in Kansas with her husband who is a High School Graphic Arts Teacher and two fuzz-brained kittiots. She loves to make costumes, cosplay, and occasionally she plays D&D or MTG with teacher-friends during summer vacation.

Angela is inspired by Ursula K. LeGuin’s The Dispossessed and her two feisty grandmas, and she devours sci-fi and fantasy in every medium. She is an active member of the Twitter writing community, and also works with several amazing writing groups, frequently getting to read and critique wonderful unpublished work.

 

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Giveaway Details:

1
winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway