Thursday, July 28, 2011

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

About the book:
Format: Nookbook
Published by: Quirk Publishing
Published date: June 2011
Genre: Young Adult


Synopsis
A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

About the Author:
Ransom Riggs grew up in Florida but now makes his home in the land of peculiar children—Los Angeles. Along the way he earned degrees from Kenyon College and the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television, got married, and made some award-winning short films. He moonlights as a blogger and travel writer, and his series of travel essays,Strange Geographies, can be found at mentalfloss.com or via ransomriggs.com. This is his first novel.


My thoughts:
I don't remember stories that my grandparents told me as a child. I do remember hearing my grandmother talk about people in the neighborhood and such but they weren't stories that I held in my memory. Jake on the other hand were told stories of "monsters" by his grandfather as a kid. He was told stories of where he grew up with peculiar children and even had pictures to prove it. Jake didn't believe his grandfather until the day he saw one of the "monsters" his grandfather mentioned to him as a child.
Although Jake had decided that his grandfather was telling him fairy tales, the day he saw the monster he knew his grandfather had been telling the truth all along. Unfortunately, it was too late. Grandpa is now dead. However, Jake needs t face the demons in his dreams by finding closure from his grandpa's stories. 
He and his dad travels to Wales where his grandfather grew up. This is where the story begins to take a turn and a turn it did take to say the least.
The story is built around a fantastic collection of original yet unique photographs. The way the children and their peculiarities were described reminded me of a circus with the freak show acts. But I actually liked these children and didn't find them creepy. The story included quite a bit of history and time travel which I never knew I would find interest in. However, the way this book was written kept my interest and kept me wanting more. 
Ransom Riggs has written a thrillingly fantastic book. This is a new author that I plan to keep on my favorite authors list.


I GIVE THIS BOOK


DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Two down, one more to go...

I have successfully completed another reading challenge. I must say, I somewhat miss reading a regular book. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Nook but the last book I read was a paperback and I truly missed it. Today I went to Borders and bought four books from their liquidation sale. Hopefully I will still enjoy the feeling of a regular book so that I will be inclined to pick them up and read them.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Anasazi (ARC) by Emma Michaels

About the book

One year ago, something happened to David. Following the only clue he had he headed out into the desert. Now he has asked me to come see him. But when I arrived, he was gone. The people in town claim they have never heard of him and everyone wants me to leave.

But I know he was here and he is in trouble.
He can't survive out there for long.

Can he?

David. I will find you.

About the Author

Emma Michaels, author of The Thirteenth Chime and Anasaszi, lives in Washington State and writes with the support of her fiancé and Chihuahua. Her fiancé is her sounding board for ideas and research and she knows she is writing something wonderful when her Chihuahua, who likes to sit on her shoulders and stare at the screen, moves her head from side to side as though reading. She wants to make the New York Times Best Sellers list in her lifetime and wants to show that there is no stopping someone who truly puts their heart and soul into what they do. 
Emma Michaels began book blogging in 2009 (http://EmmaMichaels.Blogspot.com)and released her debut novel in 2010 (The Thirteenth Chime) with the sequel in 2011 (Anasazi). 


My Thoughts
When I first began reading Anasazi I was a little skeptic about how it would tie with the Thirteenth Chime. After reading the book I realized that it did but it didn't really need to the way I expected it to. Also, I think it could be read an followed without having to read Thirteenth Chime. Now, I'm not one to start a series in the middle of the series, but it was an observation.


Anasazi began with Megan going to the desert in an old Native American town to find David. Once she gets there she learns that David is nowhere to be found and something seems out of sorts. Megan decides she is going to find David whether it kills her; and that it almost did. 


I must say that I found Anasazi to be written with a lot of very interesting details about the Hopi, Anasazi and Navajo tribes that it kept my interest throughout the book. There was also enough suspense and strangeness of the townspeople that kept my interest in the story peaked.


I found the book to be an easy read. As a matter of fact, I finished it in one day. I'm hoping that the third book will reveal what and who David really is.


I GIVE THIS BOOK



DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Ahh...

I have successfully completed one of my reading challenges. I'm more than 1/2 way through another and then I will be able to focus on the third...YES. I hope my momentum sticks or gets better this second half of the year. :-)