Review: The Templeton Twins Have An Idea by Jeremy Holmes

Title: The Templeton Twins Have An Idea

Author: Ellis Weiner

Illustrator: Jeremy Holmes

Genre: middle grade, mystery

Series: The Templeton Twins #1

Pages: 236 (Nook ARC edition)

Published: April 1 2012

Source: publishers via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

Suppose there were 12-year-old twins, a boy and girl named John and Abigail Templeton. Let's say John was pragmatic and played the drums, and Abigail was theoretical and solved cryptic crosswords. Now suppose their father was a brilliant, if sometimes confused, inventor. And suppose that another set of twins—adults—named Dean D. Dean and Dan D. Dean, kidnapped the Templeton twins and their ridiculous dog in order to get their father to turn over one of his genius (sort of) inventions. Yes, I said kidnapped. Wouldn't it be fun to read about that? Oh please. It would so. Luckily for you, this is just the first in a series perfect for boys and girls who are smart, clever, and funny (just like the twins), and enjoy reading adventurous stories (who doesn't?!).

A quick read and one sure to be enjoyed by its target audience, The Templeton Twins Have An Idea is a fun-filled, goofy and cheeky adventure where children ultimately get to save the day and themselves. John and Abigail are dynamic middle-grade protagonists: feisty, smart and capable. With an involved and fourth-wall-breaking narrator, their Ridiculous Dog and their own wits, the two twins partake in an escapade that gives the reader ample opportunities to laugh, solve puzzles or even jot down a new recipe for meatloaf.   The first in a forthcoming series, this breezy lighthearted children's romp is inventive, interactive and an original ride.

A silly tone from the outset gets things going and author Ellis Weiner clearly used his imagination to make this as engaging for younger children as it could be. A little bit of wit, a little bit of snark and a lot of character help to make The Templeton Twins one novel not to be missed for those looking for a slightly interactive and fully original novel for their kids to enjoy. The tongue-in-cheek tone allows for amusement across the board as a 20-something reader I wasn't above the good-cheer influence of this cheeky and fun novel. Illustrator Jeremy Holmes art (and sketches for the ARC) catch the mood of the middle-grade novel perfectly: a little odd, very distinct and wholly eye-catching, his work definitely adds an extra element of personality to The Templeton Twins Have An Idea.

Simple and easy, this is the perfect fit for its genre. A little bit of mystery and childish ingenuity can go far as the author/illustrator pair behind this can attest. Antagonists Dean D. Dean and Dan D. Dean provide humorous and likely foils for the intrepid Templeton kids and the engaging read is worth it from start to completion.

Blog Watch Wednesday

Fun Stuff:

(Not so fun) - Ray Bradbury, author of classics like Fahrenheit 451, has died at the age of 91.

This is what it would look like if Ron Swanson of Parks and Rec wrote book blurbs.

Game of Thrones' S2 finale "Valar Morghulis" hit a series-high viewership on Sunday.

Tyrion Lannister's best quotes from season two.

You want to hear A Game of Thrones theme song as sung by squeaky toys? Yes, yes you do.

The 10 Best Changes made from A Clash of Kings to GoT's second season.

If you've read George R. R. Martin's novels you know a certain song "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" pops up frequently in the novels. Check out this Celtic band's interpretation.

Amelia Earheart's famous disappearance may no longer be a mystery.

The 15 Most Famous Assassinations in History.

If you aren't sure where all the characters were after Sunday's GoT finale, this helpful little map will explain.

Starz cancels Spartacus; upcoming third season will be the last. Noooo don't take my gory and oversexed gladiatorrr showwwww.

15 (Insane) Theories About TV & Movies.

8 Modern Astronomy Mysteries Science Can't Explain.

13 of the most Bizarre Lakes in the World. I loved this article.

14 Moments of Great Foreshadowing in Film. The last one really is quite clever.

The last I'll post on the Wendy Darling/Vanity Author issue. Til it blows up again, of course.

The Queen's Jubilee continues - check out her Thames flotilla!

Don't miss these interesting to look at data visualizations from every Avengers comic.

 

A brilliant and creative use of stock photography to tell a story.

The best and worst fashion from the MTV Movie Awards.

The funniest characters on TV this season. Ron Swanson!

Two Minute Review: The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver

Title: The Demon Trapper's Daughter / Forsaken

Author: Jana Oliver

Genre: supernatural fiction, young-adult

Series: The Demon Trappers #1

Pages: 340 (Nook edition)

Published: February 2011

Source: purchased

Rating: 3/5

Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself—and that’s exactly what the demons are counting on...

Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get—even from a girl. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.

But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart—and her life?

One of the saddest things to happen to a reader is anticipating loving a novel and, in the end, upon finishing said novel, ....not really feeling much at all. It's hard to write reviews like this - ones for books that aren't bad, but they aren't quite good either. There's a lot of imagination at play here in this vaguely futuristic world, but it never quite panned out to its potential for me. The focus lavished on Beck, romantic entanglements and Riley's inner drama about both took up far more of the narrative than I would've liked and kept me from really engaging with the plot. There are several interesting ideas at work within the basic setup Oliver has created (demons, levels, the Guild/hunter rivalry), but flat execution and a very immature/often quite brainless protagonist hamper the story. What also killed my interest was the funereal pace; a little action and excitement amid all those night-long vigils alongside Paul's grave all for nothing would've kept me more eager to read.

Riley constituted the reason for much of my disconnect here. I wanted to root for this tough girl from Atlanta, but her repeated hardheadness and stubborn refusal to learn wouldn't let me do it. She makes stupid mistakes over and over again, refuses to ask for any kind of help when she needs it most. Those kind of heroines don't last long in the real world - they get snuffed easily, quickly and in Riley's chosen profession of demon hunting, I doubt she'd've made it even this far if she weren't The Main Character of the Series. The potential for a love-square is already set-up around her and that already irritates me to pieces. Riley's not completely irredeemable, I must admit, but it will take a lot of time and growth for me to invest at all within this particular character. And as I have little to no desire to pick up book number two, Forbidden, at this time, I don't know whether I'll witness her evolution. Many other readers and reviewers seem to find her refreshing so I'm going to take it as a case of "it's not you, it's me." and move along.

For me, The Demon Trapper's Daughter was a run-of-the-mill affair, not vastly different from any other young-adult supernatural series out there. The original ideas that are here aren't the focus of the novel, but rather instead the emotional relationships between the characters, whcih is a damn shame because the former is far more compelling and unique than the latter. For me, this was a gamble that didn't pay off, but it's far from the worst thing I've even read this month. Just please, please stop with writing the Southern dialect for Beck  -- it made me cringe every single time he spoke.

There is also a free novella set in the same series called Retro Demonology, for those interested in trying the series out without buying.

Here is the cover for the revamped, re-released and re-named version:

Sceaming Deals for Ereaders!

I'm not sure how long these sales will last, so grab 'em while you can.

Gabriella Piece's Gothic and paranormal series, 666 Park Avenue, has both novels on sale for only $.99 each!

#1. 666 Park Avenue (B&N | Amazon)

What if your mother-in-law turned out to be an evil, cold-blooded witch . . . literally?

Ever since fabulously wealthy Malcolm Doran walked into her life and swept her off her feet, fledgling architect Jane Boyle has been living a fairy tale. When he proposes with a stunning diamond to seal the deal, Jane can't believe her incredible luck and decides to leave her Paris-based job to make a new start with Malcolm in New York.

But when Malcolm introduces Jane to the esteemed Doran clan, one of Manhattan's most feared and revered families, Jane's fairy tale takes a darker turn. Soon everything she thought she knew about the world—and herself—is upended. Now Jane must struggle with newfound magical abilities and the threat of those who will stop at nothing to get them.

#2. The Dark Glamour (B&N | Amazon)

 Jane Boyle married her prince charming and moved into his upper east side castle--but she didn't get her fairy-tale ending It's hard to live happily ever after when you discover your demanding and controlling mother-in-law is literally a witch, determined to steal the magical powers you didn't even know you had. Jane narrowly avoided Lynne Doran's clutches when she escaped on her wedding day, and has been hiding out in New York City. But she can't hide forever.

When Jane learns of the one thing Lynne wants most, she sets out to provide it, hoping her good turn will persuade her mother-in-law to stop hunting her. Unfortunately, Jane's daring plan will send her right back into the witches' den--the Doran clan's multistory town house on Park Avenue. But thanks to a tricky spell, blond architect Jane will be
 transformed into Ella, a dark beauty with a whole new look.

 . . and all of Jane's budding powers. Though the stakes are life or death, nobody said "Ella" couldn't have a little fun along the way, too.

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz is only $2.99 (B&N | Amazon)

 From 2008 Newbery Medalist Laura Amy Schlitz comes an exhilarating new adventure — and a thoroughly original fairy who is a true force of nature.

What would happen to a fairy if she lost her wings and could no longer fly? Flory, a young night fairy no taller than an acorn and still becoming accustomed to her wings — wings as beautiful as those of a luna moth — is about to find out. What she discovers is that the world is very big and very dangerous. But Flory is fierce and willing to do whatever it takes to survive. If that means telling others what to do — like Skuggle, a squirrel ruled by his stomach — so be it. Not every creature, however, is as willing
to bend to Flory’s demands. Newbery Medal winner Laura Amy Schlitz and world-renowned illustrator and miniaturist Angela Barrett venture into the realm of the illustrated classic — a classic entirely and exquisitely of their making, and a magnificent adventure.

Sherwood Smith's two-part young adult fantasy series Crown & Court is currently at only $3.99 for an omnibus Nook edition! Included are both Crown Duel and Court Duel.

#1. Crown Duel

Young Countess Meliara swears to her dying father that she and her brother will defend their people from the growing greed of the king. That promise leads them into a war for which they are ill-prepared, which threatens the very people they are trying to protect. But war is simple compared to what follows, in peacetime. Meliara is summoned to live at the royal palace, where friends and enemies look alike, and intrigue fills the dance halls and the drawing rooms. If she is to survive, Meliara must learn a whole new way of fighting-with wits and words and secret alliances.

In war, at least, she knew in whom she could trust. Now she can trust no one.

 #2 - Court Duel

The stirring sequel to Crown Duel finds young Meliara at the center of a deadly court intrigue.

Court Duel takes up after the war. The bad King has been vanquished, and the Marquis of Shevraeth is the leading candidate for the throne. The court is full of political wiles, however, and some people think Meliara or her brother should either push their own claims or support another.

Review: Tarnished by Karina Cooper

Title: Tarnished

Author: Karina Cooper

Genre: steampunk, historical fiction

Series: The St. Croix Chronicles #1

Pages: 384 (Nook ARC edition)

Published: expected June 26 2012

Source: publishers via edelweiss

Rating: 4/5

In Victorian London, where science skirts the line between magic and mechanics, one stubborn miss will face shadows from her past, demons from her desires, and choices that will forever shape who she is.

A brand-new, sexy series from Karina Cooper featuring fearless heroine Cherry St. Croix-debutante by day, bounty hunter by night-set in an alternate London where proper Victorian society sits above a seedy steampunk underworld teeming with dubious loyalties, advanced technology, and incredible magic.

After going through several (5 or more) steampunk novels last month I took a bit of a breather, only to be broken when I couldn't resist the synopsis for Cherry's first exploits and I am glad I did. Fun, easy and with a new outlook on alchemy and steampunkey (not to mention London!), Tarnished is a fun, entertaining read. The beginning novel of a new series blending steampunk, mystery and the paranormal, Karina Cooper delivers up the goods in her first outing of the Chronicles: a strong but likeable protagonist in Cherry St. Croix, handsome Earls with which to dally, Society drama to keep the intrigue high and the exploits hidden, the alluring and dangerous Micajah Hawke, and multiple unique and creative applications of steampunkery. In short, there is a lot of story, adventure and romance to be had here, and Karina Cooper makes the ride quite imaginative and original throughout. And, as an added bonus, you can pre-order this deceptively simple novel for only $4.99 for Nook! How can you resist that? Fans of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series or Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine's Ministry of Pecular Occurrences novels might look to find their next fix between the pages of Tarnished.

A blend of several genres, it is the steampunk that stands to the fore here. Largely, that is due to the author's original conception of a lower and upper London -- one divided in half, with the rich and elite literally raised above, on steel stilts higher than the fog of the industrial, steam-powered "London below" of the less fortunate. ("The city above the drift glimmered and danced; a glittering dowager festooned with diamonds. Below, she was pocked and diseased, her skirts hanging torn and stained around her roughened knees." ARC, p.47) I love when authors actual use steampunk to be creative, rather than as drapery for a scene or as a simple deux-ex-machina (coughTheSteampunkChroniclescough), and happily for me, this is one such author. I really like the idea of London raised on stilts -- it's like a steampunk Venice, with air canals and sky gondolas as part and parcel of the whole shebang. The accompanying gadgets and gizmos dreamed up to operate in this imagined version of London perfectly complement Cherry's role as a collector, and the story at large. This bifurcated London is very different, wholly unique but one that still provides a familiar backdrop. Other imagined aspects of London that Cooper has created, like the Midnight Menagerie, only add the atmosphere prevalent throughout the entire novel. This is a dark, sexy mystery set in the perfect locale.

Cherry St. Croix leads a double life, and it is a complicated one. Or two. Colored and judged by Society's perceptions of her "mad doctor" father and the beautiful-but-dead mother she hardly remembers, Cherry must eke out a living (and cash for her addiction) by collecing bounties. While bounty-hunting may not be the most believable means of income for a young lady of society, it naturally leads Cherry to the seedy (and literal) underbelly of London and the main plot of Tarnished. Cherry's involvement in the subsequent events and mysteries of the lower classes felt natural and evolved organically; though she is torn between her two lives (and the men in them! I foresee a major love-triangle forming over the horizon for book two!), she can operate easily within either. It's easy to distinguish Cherry-the-lady from her alter-ego, as well as it is easy to feel a rapport with the character. Though it took me a while to fully get there, this spirited and intelligent character makes a favorable, lasting impression as a protagonist. I do feel a bit of apprehension with the definite possibility of love-triangles forming for Cherry in further novels (Micajah Hawke, Cornelius Kerrigan Compton) and hope the author has the aplomb to pull it off without spoiling the characterization developed so far for all characters involved.

A new spin on a lot of UF/steampunk favorites and tropes help to make Tarnished one of the more fun steampunk escapades I've read. With the events of book one mostly resolved and the few open plotlinese clearly extended toward a book two, I am eagerly awaiting more Midnight Menagerie (Hawke! I want more Hawke, definitely), more freakish alchemy and fresh interpretations of old ideas from this inventive author. I can't wait for book two.

Review: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Title: The Age of Miracles

Author: Karen Thompson Walker

Genre: general fiction, science fiction, post-apocalyptic

Series: N/A

Pages: 212 (Nook ARC edition)

Published: expected June 26 2012

Source: publishers via edelweiss

Rating: 4/5

'It is never what you worry over that comes to pass in the end. The real catastrophies are always different - unimagined, unprepared for, unknown...' 

What if our 24-hour day grew longer, first in minutes, then in hours, until day becomes night and night becomes day? What effect would this slowing have on the world? On the birds in the sky, the whales in the sea, the astronauts in space, and on an eleven-year-old girl, grappling with emotional changes in her own life..? One morning, Julia and her parents wake up in their suburban home in California to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth is noticeably slowing. The enormity of this is almost beyond comprehension. And yet, even if the world is, in fact, coming to an end, as some assert, day-to-day life must go on. Julia, facing the loneliness and despair of an awkward adolescence, witnesses the impact of this phenomenon on the world, on the community, on her family and on herself.

I love when books can surprise you. I had a general idea of what to expect with Karen Thompson Walker's meandering, character and thought-driven novel about the end of the world, but I had no idea how bittersweetly she could spin this science fiction-adjacent tale of change, hope, young love, and death. I somehow assumed that this thoughtful exploration of the Earth's "slowing" would be a young-adult effort, but though protagonist and narrator Julia is a preteen, The Age of Miracles should not be confused for a simple young-adult story; don't be deceived as I was. Karen Thompson Walker proves herself more than adept at crafting a unique, easily-envisaged scenario in which for her characters to live or die here, and it is contemplatively engaging from the get-go. Though this is a debut author, there is clearly a lot of talent at play within this new author's fertile and expansive imagination — this is one novelist whom I will be sure to watch in the future.

I was struck by the author's writing within pages. Simple and spare, Walker and Julia are gifted with an easy but strong voice, alive with imagery. Walker has a gift for striking descriptions and a unique way with words, one easily lent to creating atmosphere and tension within the novel (from the ARC, page 8: "We did not sense at first the extra time, bulging from the smooth edge of each day like a tumor blooming beneath skin.") Her style fits this loosely apocalyptic story; the focus is not on the extreme events that happen as a result of the slowing (like "solar superstorms" or "gravity sickness"), nor in finding/explaining the cause for the change, but rather on the effects of the aforementioned on Julia and her family. As the world and the things taken for granted fluctuate and stretch, so too do the inner lives and previously unassailable facts of life for Julia, her father and mother. 

Julia grows up, and into her role as narrator, quite fast in a world where "dark days" and "white nights" are the norm, and her character is neither stunted nor fully-dimensional. Hampered, perhaps, by the very short length of this novel (only 212 pages in ARC form), I never quite connected to Julia. I was curious about whether the cards would fall as I predicted, but I never fully invested in her as character. Like the particularly apt reference to the Gary Paulsen novel Hatchet and akin to its protagonist Brian, young Julia finds her way alone in an unfamiliar, and hostile world. I rooted for her in her suburban catastrophes; I just didn't love her. All the characters, from dad Joel to hippie Sylvia, feel sketched-out, rather than fully drawn. Despite this, I was fully involved in the story unfolding throughout The Age of Miracles - the steady stream of new revelations, the twists and turns of the more mundane plotlines and above all, Thompson Walker's inimitable prose, kept my attention firmly affixed to the page.

Though quite short and not completely perfect, The Age of Miracles is a bittersweet and worthy addition to the science fiction/apocalyptic genre. Karen Thompson Walker's foray into writing is largely a success on many counts - it is original and compelling and distinctly written. It is, I hope, a pleasant harbinger of more to come from the debut novelist. I will definitely be tuning in as well as going forth and recommending this book for those seeking a slower-paced, more introspective take on the end of the world.

Also, superficially, the Spanish edition cover is beautiful:

Planned Monthly Reads

My (hopeful) reading plans for the month of June:

Chime by Franny Billingsley

Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.

Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

 “It still amazes me how little we really knew. . . . Maybe everything that happened to me and my family had nothing at all to do with the slowing. It’s possible, I guess. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much.”

Luminous, haunting, unforgettable, The Age of Miracles is a stunning fiction debut by a superb new writer, a story about coming of age during extraordinary times, about people going on with their lives in an era of profound uncertainty.

On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life—the fissures in her parents’ marriage, the loss of old friends, the hopeful anguish of first love, the bizarre behavior of her grandfather who, convinced of a government conspiracy, spends his days obsessively cataloging his possessions. As Julia adjusts to the new normal, the slowing inexorably continues.

The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd 

Juliana St. John is the daughter of a prosperous knight in Marlborough. Though her family wants her to marry the son of her father’s business partner, circumstances set her on a course toward the court of Henry VIII and his last wife, Kateryn Parr.

Sir Thomas Seymour, uncle of the current heir, Prince Edward, returns to Wiltshire to tie up his business with Juliana’s father’s estate and sees instantly that she would fit into the household of the woman he loves, Kateryn Parr. Her mother agrees to have her placed in the Parr household for “finishing” and Juliana goes, though perhaps reluctantly. For she knows a secret. She has been given the gift of prophecy, and in one of her visions she has seen Sir Thomas shredding the dress of the king’s daughter, the lady Elizabeth, to perilous consequence.

As Juliana learns the secrets of King Henry VIII’s court, she faces threats and opposition, learning truths about her own life that will upset everything she thought she once held dear.

Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin 

It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

The first novel in the original, six-book Iron Druid Chronicles--introducing a cool, new, funny urban fantasy hero

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

Moonglow by Kristen Callihan 

Once the seeds of desire are sown . . .

Finally free of her suffocating marriage, widow Daisy Ellis Craigmore is ready to embrace the pleasures of life that have long been denied her. Yet her new-found freedom is short lived. A string of unexplained murders has brought danger to Daisy's door, forcing her to turn to the most unlikely of saviors . . .

Their growing passion knows no bounds . . .
Ian Ranulf, the Marquis of Northrup, has spent lifetimes hiding his primal nature from London society. But now a vicious killer threatens to expose his secrets. Ian must step out of the shadows and protect the beautiful, fearless Daisy, who awakens in him desires he thought long dead. As their quest to unmask the villain draws them closer together, Daisy has no choice but to reveal her own startling secret, and Ian must face the undeniable truth: Losing his heart to Daisy may be the only way to save his soul.