Category: Books Read-2010

School of Possibilites Review

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: School of Possibilities
AUTHOR: Seth Parkkola
PUB DATE: June 2010
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
PAGES: 368
GENRE: Juvenile Fiction/Middle Grade

ABOUT THE BOOK
Storm Steele is an impossible child.

Or so his parents believe thanks to the influence of his evil “step-monster.” Now Storm is being forced to attend the School of Possibilities for troubled youth. But Storm notices that something strange is going on at his new school. The students are not…normal.

Soon he’s being spied on, followed by classmates—and worst of all, forced to accept the headmaster’s perfectly behaved daughter as his girlfriend. He can feel himself becoming more obedient, more like his classmates. Storm tries to resist, but he doesn’t understand how or why the school is controlling him.

Can Storm escape—or will he be turned into a zombie of “good” behavior like everyone else around him?

MY THOUGHTS
I want to send out a huge thank you to Kay at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for sending me an advance readers copy of the School of Possibilities.

I have to let you know that I did enjoy reading this book and really got into it near the end where I was having a hard time to put it down because I had to know what happened.

The book is told in the first person, Storm and he is your typical 12 year old boy. What gets him into trouble is the fact that he hopped on a train going no where really and gets caught. He has done this a few times.

His parents aren’t together anymore and his dad is with his new girlfriend Verity. She has a daughter, Mona. Verity works at the School of Possibilities and offers to get Storm into the school as his last chance to change his life around because in her words he is labelled as an impossible child.

As I was reading this I kept thinking that this is like the movie The Stepford Wives. How everything has to be perfect and everyone is like zombies and you basically sell your soul to the devil and obey every rule and be like everyone except yourself.

When Storm enters the school he is told that he must give up his favorite past time which is skate boarding and find a new hobby and get new friends because basically what he has now just is working for him as the headmaster says.

He quickly realizes that this isn’t an ordinary school. The adults are in charge and all the students are like zombies with no real thoughts of their own. They are told how to behave and if you don’t you have consequences and are disciplined with some rather odd methods such as they use the model of the hangman game for every wrong behavior you get a mark.

Of course it seems like the odds are stacked against Storm and it makes you feel as though they are setting him up to fail instead of helping him. He receives his first punishment and that is a girlfriend and she just happens to be the headmaster’s daughter, Bridgette.

As you are reading this you can’t help but want to root for Storm and see him succeed. The only question is can Storm escape before its too late?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
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The Truth About Delilah Blue TLC Tour & Review

Posted on by Cindy



TITLE: The Truth About Delilah Blue
AUTHOR: Tish Cohen
PUD DATE: June 2010
PUBLISHER: Harper Perennial
PAGES: 409

ABOUT THE BOOK

Delilah Blue has always been a bit of an outsider, ever since she moved from Toronto to Los Angeles when she was eight. Twenty now, and desperate to become an artist like her long-lost mother but unable to pay for classes, she takes a job as an art model so she can learn from the professors as the students draw parts of her she’d much rather keep under wraps.

Her only real companion in life is her father, a dapper, single salesman. But as he’s entered his mid-fifties, he has begun to forget simple tasks and is often disoriented—telltale signs of early-onset Alzheimer’s. The disease presents itself just as Delilah’s long-estranged mother, who Delilah always believed selfishly abandoned the family, reenters the scene and reveals a secret about the past that will permanently change their lives.

MY THOUGHTS
I have to send out a huge thank you to Trish from TLC Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of this tour and to Harper Perennial for sending me the book.

I have to say that The Truth about Delilah Blue started out very slow for me and then at about chapter seven it started picking up for me to the point that I was having a hard time to put it down.

The reader knows Lila Mack as a 20 year old struggling artist in California. But what we soon realize is that she previously was Delilah Blue Lovett, a youngster living in Toronto with her mother, Elisabeth and visiting her father, Victor when it was his turn to have his daughter. On one of the planned visits when she is eight, Victor actually kidnaps Delilah because he doesn’t like the lifestyle his ex is leading. He tells her they are going to Disney World in Florida but in reality he is taking her to California. Once in California he dyes her hair, gives her a new name and a new place to live.

Lila has always been interested in the art world and always wondered about her mother who is also an artist. Lila has no money to afford going to college so in order to get her art education she decides she will pose nude for the art class at the college and listen to the professor and take away what she learns and when she goes home she will put what she learned to work.

Victor is a successful medical supplies salesman and things are going good but quickly his world is about to change. As is Delilah’s world is about to be rocked. She is not only having to deal with her father’s problems but also that of her mothers who happens to reenter Delilah’s world.

Elisabeth manages to track down Delilah. She has alot to tell Delilah not only about her new life but also a family secret that is going to rock Delilah’s world. How is she going to handle this news bomb?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tish Cohen is the author of Town House, a 2008 finalist for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best First Book Award (Canada and Caribbean region), and in development as a feature film with Fox 2000. The film is being produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free and will be directed by John Carney, the award-winning, critically acclaimed director of Once. Production is set to begin in New England in 2008. Town House was released to massive media interest in Canada, has been published in Italy, and will be released in Germany in April 2009.

Cohen has also written the preteen novel The Invisible Rules of Zoe Lama, a bestseller in Canada, which was published in 2007. The sequel, The One and Only Zoe Lama, will be published in summer 2008.The Zoe Lama series is in development as a live action TV series with 9Story Entertainment.

Cohen has contributed articles to some of Canada’s largest newspapers, including The Globe and Mail and The National Post. Having grown up in Los Angeles and Orange County in California, and Montreal, Cohen now calls Toronto home. Inside Out Girl is Cohen’s second novel for adults.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
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The Turning Book 1: What Curiosity Kills

Posted on by Cindy

TITLE: The Turning Book 1: What Curiosity Kills
AUTHOR: Helen Ellis
PUB DATE: May 2010
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire
PAGES: 224

ABOUT THE BOOK
Mary Richards is a normal sixteen-year-old girl living in Manhattan. Well, almost normal. She goes to private school on the Upper East Side, having been saved from a life of squalor by an adoptive family. But she’s also slowly transforming into a cat.

Struggling to hide her physical metamorphosis, Mary discovers that she isn’t alone. A whole race of cat people prowls the streets of Manhattan at night, including Mary’s long-time crush, Nick.

Aside from heightened feline senses, hanging out with Nick is the best thing about discovering her inner kitty. But Mary’s transformation is special and could decide the outcome of a citywide turf war. She must decide whether to embrace her powerful feline side and become a pack leader or go back to being a normal teenage girl. Can she land on her feet or will curiosity be her downfall?

summary from Goodreads.com

MY THOUGHTS

I was really lucky to get to meet the lovely Helen Ellis in person when she stopped by the Sourcebooks booth at BEA. The Turning Book 1 What Curiosity Kills has been on my radar for a little while now and after meeting Helen I ended up tracking down her book in NYC and I ended up buying it.

This is Paul from Sourcebooks, myself and Helen.

It was a pleasure to talk to Helen at BEA. She spoke briefly about her book, which happens to be her first YA book and the first in a series of upcoming books. After listening to her speak I decided I would pick up the book. It was later that night when I checked my emails in the hotel and discovered a truly beautiful email from her. She is super sweet. If I could have found a bookstore open at 2:30 AM I would have rushed out to buy the book then and there. Hence it would have to wait.

On the Monday following my trip from NYC, I decided that once Michael was on the bus I would come home and curl up on the couch and start to read THE TURNING. All I have to say in my opinion is “Curiosity killed this cat!”. I absolutely loved the book and I am not just saying that because Helen will read this.

The Turning managed to suck me almost right away. So much so that I barely put the book down and was determined to read this all before Michael got off the bus at 3:50pm. I did manage to read this in one sitting and to finish it in plenty of time before Michael got off the bus.

Mary and Octavia are adopted sisters living with a loving family in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Mary is almost like your typical 16 year old although she is a little different while your normal typical 16 year old girls worry about how they look, boys and clothes, Mary is trying to figure out what is happening to her.

When she lets a cat into her bathroom, the cat brushes up against her causing Mary to start growing clumps of fur. She is freaked out and not sure what is happening.

When her crush, Nick suddenly starts talking to her, he begins to fill in the pieces of the puzzle and helps her to shape shift into a cat. Octavia witnesses this and is freaked out. Slowly she confides into Mary about why she is freaked out about cats. I know I was curious to find out why she was freaked out about cats.

Octavia is determined to help Mary out but will they be able to before its too late?

I am so excited and curious to read the next book although I can’t seem to find out when it will be happening. I am dying to know what will happen to Mary.

You can check outHelen Ellis’s Websiteto see what fun and exciting things she is up too.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

The Double Blog Dare Tour

Posted on by Cindy

Welcome and hello! I am truly honored to be part of the The Double Blog Dare Tour with Tundra Books. This is might be your first stop if your a reader of mine or not so hop on over to check out these other blogs who are part of the tour today:

Rachelle from Living Between Wednesdays
Open Book Toronto
Helen from Helen’s Book Blog

When I got these books in the mail I did a little research and discovered that Alison Dare, Little Miss Adventure and Alison Dare, The Heart of the Maiden by J Torres and J Bone were actually published in 2002 and Tundra Books was re-releasing these two.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Alison Dare: Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft in fabulous, graphic adventures.Alison Dare is not your typical twelve-year-old. She’s the daughter of an archaeologist/adventurer and the masked hero known as the Blue Scarab. To top it off, she’s also the niece of an international super-spy; it’s no surprise that a craving for danger is in her blood! Unfortunately, her parents have locked her away at the prestigious St. Joan’s Academy for Girls, hoping that this would lead to a more “normal” life for their daughter.

But despite all the strict rules at the school, Alison and her best pals – Wendy and Dot – somehow manage to find themselves involved in adventures that rival those of Alison’s globetrotting, planet-saving relatives. Whether it’s magic genies, super-powered bank robbers, or a dastardly baron bent on world domination, Alison Dare delivers the best thrills since Indiana Jones and more action than Lara Croft!

ABOUT THE BOOK
Alison Dare: Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft in fabulous, graphic adventures.Alison Dare is not your typical twelve-year-old. She’s the daughter of an archaeologist/adventurer and the masked hero known as the Blue Scarab. To top it off, she’s also the niece of an international super-spy; it’s no surprise that a craving for danger is in her blood! Unfortunately, her parents have locked her away at the prestigious St. Joan’s Academy for Girls, hoping that this would lead to a more “normal” life for their daughter.

But despite all the strict rules at the school, Alison and her best pals – Wendy and Dot – somehow manage to find themselves involved in adventures that rival those of Alison’s globetrotting, planet-saving relatives. Whether it’s magic genies, super-powered bank robbers, or a dastardly baron bent on world domination, Alison Dare delivers the best thrills since Indiana Jones and more action than Lara Croft!

PLEASE NOTE: Images and about the book were taken from the Tundra Books Website.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
J. TORRES is a Shuster Award-winning, Eisner Award-nominated writer whose credits include adaptations of Disney/Pixar’s WALL-E and CTV’s Degrassi: The Next Generation, the comic book series Teen Titans Go and Wonder Girl for DC Comics, as well as the graphic novels Lola: A Ghost Story and the YALSA-listed Days Like This for Oni Press. He has also written for children’s magazines, books, and television.

J. BONE is an Eisner Award-nominated illustrator of several critically acclaimed comic books and graphic novels, including Spiderman: Tangled Web, Batman / The Spirit, and Paul Dini’s Mutant, Texas.

I have to send out a huge thank you to Sylvia from Tundra Books for contacting me about this tour and sending me the books to review.

MY THOUGHTS
Being graphic novels they were both a quick read as both books were under 100 pages and we were able to read them both in a day.

After reading them Michael turned and said “mommy she is like Indiana Jones but instead of being a man she is a girl.”

I think seeing that Alison is 12 years old, Michael could relate to her (he is 7). There is some mystery and tons of adventures in both books. Although as much as he liked Alison he did say that it would be cool to have a dad who is a masked hero.

It was really nice to read these graphic novels because for once the boy isn’t the super hero and it gives the girl who read this the chance to know that they two can be super heroes and that girls are just as smart as boys.

Thanks again Sylvia for allowing us to be a part of the tour and for reviewing these great graphic novels. They will be enjoyed over and over again I am sure.

I always thought that Tundra Books was awesome but now I know they are truly awesome. Since they are re-releasing both Alison Dare graphic novels they are running this super sweet contest and you can check out more about it on their site Tundra Books Contest to see what it entails.

Check back later today when I will post something special with Alison Dare.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Wicked Lovely Review

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Wicked Lovely Desert Tales Sanctuary Vol 1
AUTHOR: Melissa Marr
PUB DATE: April 2009
PUBLISHE: Harper Collins
PAGES: 176
SOURCE: Library Books

ABOUT THE BOOK
This first volume in a manga trilogy features characters from the novel Wicked Lovely (HarperTeen, 2007).

Discover Melissa Marr’s mesmerizing world of Faerie . . .

The desert is far away from the schemes of the Faerie Courts—and that’s how Rika likes it. Once a mortal and now a faery, Rika seeks isolation and revels in her ability to appear invisible to humans. Then, she meets him. Artistic and kind, Jayce is the last person Rika wants to hide from.

But change is coming, challenging Rika’s freedom and her new romance, as her past pursues her, even into the heart of the desert. . . . (HarperCollins website)

MY THOUGHTS
I have heard of Melissa Marr but have never read any of her books. She is the author of the Wicked Lovely series.

I thought that this would be a great introduction to reading her work but I quickly realized that I really should read the Wicked Lovely series because for some reason I felt lost. Perhaps its knowing that the mangas are based on the books.

I loved the illustrations in the book. They were very well done thanks to Xian Nu Studio.

If you have read the Wicked Lovely series then I am sure you will love this book.

Wicked Lovely: Desert Tales, Volume 2: Challenge is already out and in the stores.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Dokebi Bride Review

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: Dokebi Bride Vol 1
AUTHOR: Marley
PUB DATE: March 2006
PUBLISHER: Diamond Comic Distributors, Incorporated
PAGES: 184
SOURCE: Library Book

ABOUT THE BOOK
Korea”s most talked-about series in 2005! Born into a shaman family, Sunbi has inherited the power to see and communicate with spirits just like her grandmother, a notable shaman and savior of their little fishing village in the South Sea. Early on, she sees things like an imposter shaman being thrashed by a dragon of the deep, and doesn”t understand that none of her schoolmates can see such things. Her powers make her the amorous target of hedonistic demons even as a child. Long shielded from the reality of her power, she finally learns the secret of her mother”s death, and why her grandmother was never able to leave their village. Enter Sunbi”s world in this mind-boggling psychological chiller!

MY THOUGHTS
Right now there is seven books in this series that are out. I didn’t get to borrow all of them because my library doesn’t have them yet. I will probably wait until they get them or if I happen to find them at a second hand bookstore.

I have to say that this wasn’t a favorite manga to read. Not sure why but it just didn’t grab me like the previous ones I read. The illustrations in the book are very well done and loved looking at them.

Sunbi is borned into a shaman family and she has the power to see and to communicate with the spirit world. She takes after her grandmother in that regards because her grandmother has that power as well. Her grandmother is very well respected in the community. Sunbi discovers what really happened to her mother.

I really love the covers of this book.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

The Dreaming Reviews

Posted on by Cindy


TITLE: The Dreaming Vol 1
AUTHOR: Queenie Chan
PUB DATE: December 2005
PAGES: 192
PUBLISHER:TokyoPop
SOURCE: Library Book

ABOUT THE BOOK
When twin sisters Amber and Jeanie are accepted into an exclusive Australian boarding school, their future looks bright. But the school’s halls harbor a terrible secret: students have been known to wander into the surrounding bushlands and vanish…without a trace! No one knows where they went–or why. But as Amber and Jeanie are about to learn, the key to the school’s dark past may lie in the world of their dreams.

MY THOUGHTS
I have to say I am not really sure how manga’s are suppose to be reviewed as this is the first time I am reviewing one. So if anyone can tell me that would be great.

I always heard about mangas but never bought or read them until I borrowed one for Michael and ever since then I have been reading them. They are great quick reads in between regular books.

This is the first volume of a three-book manga series that came out in 2005. I am really happy that I was able to borrow all three from the library because once I read the first one I had to find out what happened in the second manga.

We are introduce to identical twin sisters named Jeanie and Amber. We find out that there parents sent then to a boarding school on the edge of the Australian bush, called Greenwich Private College. The school has a deep dark secret. Students go missing and are never to be found, teachers are tight lipped about what goes on, rooms are sealed off and there is weird paintings on display at the school.

What was really enjoyable about the story was that they mystery was built up and you couldn’t put the book down because you had to find out what was going on or what would happen next.


TITLE: The Dreaming Vol 2
AUTHOR: Queenie Chan
PUB DATE: October 2006
PAGES: 192
PUBLISHER:TokyoPop
SOURCE: Library Book

ABOUT THE BOOK
Greenwich Private College grinds to a complete halt after the discovery of Millie’s body. As gloom and despair sets in, most of the students leave the school. But Jeanie’s curiosity keeps her on campus, and when she’s led down the path of the Greenwich’s dark history, has she awakened a ghostly curse?

MY THOUGHTS
I am so happy that I was able to get this book when I picked up the first one because the first one ended and I had to read what happened.

Amber appears to be getting worse and Jeannie is worried about her. A fellow student, Millie, has gone missing and there is no sign of her. They form a seach party to look for Millie, will they find her?

The second volume starts to dig deeper into what is going on and makes you want to read and not put the book down and that was me. You can see there is more the story then what is being told. Will Jeannie be able to find out what is happening at this school before its too late?

TITLE: The Dreaming Vol 3
AUTHOR: Queenie Chan
PUB DATE: December 2007
PAGES: 192
PUBLISHER:TokyoPop
SOURCE: Library Book

ABOUT THE BOOK
Where did the ghostly girls come from? And what do they want? Before the students know it, the missing girls enter the school, where Amber spots Millie, who speaks to her almost as if to warn her of something. Is there more to this supernatural mystery than just the school itself? The answers to why these girls have come back and what caused their death are revealed in this haunting series finale.

MY THOUGHTS
I can’t believe that the series is finished. I have to say that I was really happy to have actually read them all in one sitting and to have read them. I think this was a great manga series to read.

In this book the dead girls are returning to school and no one knows where they came from. Jeannie is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. With a little help from Miss Anu they start to put the clues to the puzzle together. Will they figure out what is going on before its too late?

I have to say that all the illustrations in the three books was beautiful.

You can see Queenie Chan’s offical site here.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.