Another long break...

I know what you're thinking...why read this blog if this lady can't keep it together enough to regularly post on her blog?  I apologize to my readers.  I had every intentention to write a new post but I took a two month vacation to California to visit my family and I wasn't really able to post that often, let alone get some time to read.  Well, I am back now, all settled in and ready to update you on th many things that I have read while I've been gone.

First, let me continue from the last post about the Kingdom Keepers series.  Ridley Pearson is doing a phenomenal job at keeping this series going.  I did get both of the newest books written by him, The Syndrome and The Return: Disney Lands.  I will start with The Syndrome.  This book takes place after the end of book VII of the original Kindgom Keepers from the point of view of Amanda and Jess, the two friends of the keepers with special powers.  The girls go on an adventure to save the keepers and it is a good piece written from their persepective.  This book had me wanting more of the keepers saga and Pearson has done just that with his new series The Return: Disney Lands.  This novel picks up about three years after book VII and the keepers are about to graduate high school.  Finn, the "leader" of the group is still hung up on some clues that were left in Walt's apartment so the keepers begin another quest which takes them time travelling back to 1955 when Disneyland first opened.  The keepers learn that the Overtakers may still be around, depite what they thought, and the adventure of crossing over continues.  This novel was really well written and makes you wish the next in the series was out.  I've been searching for a release date for the next novel, but I haven't seen one so I will just have to wait.

The next books I want to discuss are others that I referenced in my prior blog post.  I discussed the Spirit Animals series and I talked about some follow up books to complete the series.  They were The Book of Shane series and Tales of the Great Beasts.  The Book of Shane is a series of three books that catalog the story from Shane's point of view.  The first book is before the first book in the Spirit Animals series, the secon book is directly in the middle and the third book is towards the end of the series.  It is great to see the series from the antagonists point fo view and see that there are always two sides to every story.  I don't want to say too much about it because I don't want to give it away before you read it.  The Tales of the Great Beasts book is an excellent book to show the background of the fight of the great beasts before the series began.  It gave some very good background information that was helpful in understanding some of the nuances between the great beasts themselves.  As I was doing some background research for the post, I found out that there is another Spirit Animals series being released tomorrow!  It is called Fall of the Beasts Book 1: Immortal Guardians by Eliot Schrefer.  The summary on Amazon just says the world of Erdas faces a new threat.  I am excited to continue the series and see where the authors can take us next.

In order not to make this post too long, I will only update on one more book and I will save the rest for another post.  I promise I will post later this week!  The last book I want to update you on is called The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard.  This name might be familiar because she is also the author of the Pretty Little Liars series.  This new series catalogs five girls that play a prank on a boy in their school at a party in which he ends up dead.  The girls didn't kill him, but evidence is showing up that points to them as the killers so they have to work together to find out who the real killer is and why they are framing them.  This is the first book in the series and I am currently on hold for book two so I will update you all on the ending as soon as it becomes available!

That is all for now, but I promise there will be more updates very shortly!!  Thanks for reading!

Two New Updates

Hello my fellow readers!  I have been busy reading these past couple of weeks and I have two series to discuss.

The first series is one that I have already eluded to in my post about my love for Disney.  It is the Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson.  This past week I finally finished the original series by reading the seventh book Kingdom Keepers VII: The Insider.  This book was an amazing end to the series.  There were plenty of plot twists that I didn't see coming and some twists that I was super sad to see, but it was amazing.  Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down and I ended up finishing the over 500 page book in about a day and a half.  With a toddler running around, this was definitely a hard task, but I literally could not stop reading this book.  For all my fellow Disney nerds out there, this series is one that I definitely recommend reading.  The series takes five kids (eventually turns into seven total) and turns them into DHI's, or Disney Hosts Interactive.  This means the kids are holograms that were created to guide guests around Walt Disney World.  The actual reason for their creation was because once they go to sleep at night, they can be transported in their hologram forms over to the Disney parks to save them from the Overtakers, or OT's.  The OT's are all of the Disney villains that have banded together to stop Disney's magic.  This series is great.  The Keepers are tasked to save the parks and Disney's magic from some of the worst villains in Disney history.  In books five and six, the Keepers go on a Disney cruise because there is trouble brewing with the OT's on the cruise.  Book seven was a very interesting one.  The author posted chapters and previews on his website and allowed the readers to write sections of the story.  Throughout the first few chapters of the book there are passages written by fellow readers that were selected by the author to include in the book.  This book is also different in that it is the only book in the series to take place at Disneyland.  That piece really allowed a lot of Disney history to be tied in the story, which is something that I really enjoyed.  The ending of book seven was left open allowing for more to branch off from there.  It really wasn't a concrete ending to the story as there were many hints given that there was more to be had.  After finishing the novel, I went on the web and found the site Kingdom Keepers Insider where I found out that there are several new books (that of course are now on my to be read list).  He wrote a novella called Unforseen which is a story that follows Jessica, one of the Fairlies that help the Keepers, and is set between books six and seven.  He also has a book that has the Fairlies, Amanda and Jess, starring in a story where they have to save a fellow Keeper.  The last book is going to be part of a new Keepers series (it says trilogy on the website) called The Return.  The first book is called The Return I: Disney Lands.  This book is set directly after book seven from the last series and Pearson did a similar thing as book seven where he posted updates and allowed reader to write passages in the novel.  I am excited that this series is continuing and I can't wait to read these new books.  I will update you all when I read these new books!

The next series that I want to share is called the Spirit Animals series.  This series is written in a similar manner as the 39 Clues series in that each book was written by a different author.  The last book in the original series is shown in the picture here, Spirit Animals Book 7:The Evertree by Marie Lu.  This series begins with four children as the summon their spirit animals for the first time.  Each child in the world drinks the nectar to see if they will bond with a spirit animal that will be a part of them for life.  The four children in the story, Meilin, Rollan, Conor, and Abeke summon the animals of the four fallen beasts.  The series then has the children traveling the world to recover the talismans of the other great beasts so they can save the world from the Devourer and make sure that he doesn't gain all the power.  The series has a lot of twists and turns and this is one that I recommend reading back to back.  There are some series that are easy to drop and pick back up after a long break.  This series, because of the intricate nature of the story, is hard to keep up with if you don't read it back to back.  The general nature of the story is easy to grasp, but there are a lot of details which can be confusing if you haven't read it in a while.  I really enjoyed the series and I hope that they continue with other stories of a similar nature.  Unlike the Kingdom Keepers series, the Spirit Animals series definitely finished in a way that would be hard to continue the exact story, but I could see a branching off point for a new series with a similar premise.  There is also a trilogy that is an ebook series that is written from the opposite point of view.  It is called The Book of Shane series and I hope to begin reading that series soon as I just got notification that my library obtained the ebooks in their collection.  There is also a companion book called The Tales of the Great Beasts which outlines the original stories behind the series.  This is also one that I have added to my to-be-read pile.

Well, as you all can see I have been busy finishing some series but also adding many more books to my pile of things I need/want to read.  I hope this has inspired some of my fellow readers out there to start a new series or gave you some ideas as to what types of series you would want to start.  If you have any more questions about the series, any recommendations, or want to discuss the series further, comment on here!  Thanks for reading and I will update as soon as I decide what I want to dive into next!  Happy reading!
 

Updates and the amazingness that is the library hold system

Hello everyone!  OK, so I know I have been M.I.A. for a couple of months, but I've been really busy enjoying my family.  I haven't really been reading too much lately either, so there isn't a lot to update on.  I actually have only read two books since I last wrote.  I do want to touch base on the second aspect of the title which is the amazingness (I know, probably not a word, but go with me) that is the hold system at my public library.  I was first introduced to this system when we were living in California and I loved it so much that I recommend it to anyone who will listen.  I think I even have mentioned it before.  I'm not sure about how it works in other places but in California and Hawaii it works very similar.  The library has a database of all the books that you can usually search remotely online or at the library branch itself.  Most of the time, the libraries work with the other libraries in the county (or in the state as it is here in Hawaii).  This allows the user of said library to be able to borrow a book from any library in the county that they are registered in.  We lived in Riverside county in California so I was able to borrow a book from any library in that particular county.  Now, the cool thing is that you don't have to travel to the library that has the book in order to obtain a copy, although you might need to if you want it quickly because the hold process can sometimes take a long time.  In order to get the book without traveling, you would simply log on to the computer database (either remotely or at the library) and place a hold for that book from your account.  In my case, they offer you the option to choose a pick up library.  The system will then send the book to your library of choice, usually the one closest to your house or the one your frequent most often, and you can pick it up from there.  I love this system because I am no longer limited to the selection at my local library.  Sometimes, my library doesn't have a book I want but another library does so this makes it so I don't have go traveling around to get the book I want or need.  Now some of you may be thinking, well duh.  She joined this train a little late on the journey, and you might be right.  However, I have talked to many people who weren't aware that this service existed and I thought I would share the wonderful program.

So why am I going on and on about this?  Well, my library offers a selection of ebooks and they have a hold system on this as well.  One of the books that I wanted to read was available as an ebook and I placed a hold for this book.  I became number 67 in the list of people that wanted this book.  Finally, after two months of being on the hold list, the book became available and it is the first book I want to tell you about.  My husband is huge into politics and history so I have been trying to broaden my horizons and read some books that allow me to become immersed in that world with him.  The book that I most recently read was 41: A Portrait of my Father by George W. Bush.  This is the first book that I was able to add to my reading challenge for this year.  I liked this book simply for the fact that it allowed me to see a world that I wasn't otherwise privy to.  The major negative for me in this book was that it was more of a rebelling of the history with a few anecdotes thrown in instead of the other way around.  The title seemed promising that I was going to get an in depth look in to the world of the Bush family, but I just felt like I was reading a history book with some interesting stories about the prior president.  The stories and anecdotes that he offered were interesting and they definitely gave a different viewpoint of the events that unfolded but I guess I was just looking for more.  I would recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in history but I just don't think it is for everyone.

I was going to share the other book that I read over the absence but I just realized that it is part of a series and I wanted to wait until I finished the whole series before I wrote about it.  The series is the Sprirt Animals series.  This series has a similar nature and writing style to the 39 Clues series so I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed that series, but that is all I will say on that for now.

I have a huge "to-be read" pile sitting in my nightstand right now that I am trying to tackle.  I promise I will be updating soon, but I just need to find more time to dedicate to my reading.  I will be starting a new book soon and will update ASAP!  Keep reading and please comment with any thoughts, book suggestions, or requests!

Jodi Picoult is amazing

OK, so I know these two posts are going to be back to back, but I wanted to share the reason why I haven't posted anything in a couple of weeks.  Last week, I got an email that my turn for a book that I had on my hold list had finally came!  I went to the library and found out that since this book is still new and the hold list is long (I had been on it for at least four months!) that I only had a week to read it and return it.  Well, challenge accepted and accomplished!  I just returned the book today, but I had finished it a couple of days ago.  Now that it is returned and completed I have been able to rejoin you all and share my wonderful experience with this novel.

As you probably have guessed from the title, the book is by one of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult.  I have read a good number of her books and I have the ones I haven't read on my to be read list.  She is amazing and has a way of writing that just hooks me in from the first paragraph.  The first book I ever read by her was Nineteen Minutes as an assignment for one of my first teacher school classes.  This book was so amazing and I recommend it to anyone, but be warned that it is very sad and can be intense.  I especially recommend this book to teachers and parents because it offers a view into a high school shooting, the aftermath, and the events leading up to it that will help you better connect with your students and children in a way I didn't think a fiction book could do.

On to the book of the hour.  The newest book that she wrote is called Leaving Time.  This book is written in the classic Picoult style of many narrators.  This is one of the things that I love about her novels.  She is able to bring you into the story by showing you the plot points from the various characters view points.  She also does a lot of reflection and flashbacks that allow the reader to get a sense of the background along with the current story line.  I love that the reader is able to be immersed in the story like that.  This book does not disappoint.  There are many twists and turns that I was not expecting, and the ending was truly unexpected.  I won't reveal any of the plot points here because I don't want to spoil this wonderful story for anyone who hasn't read it yet.  I do want to post a quote from Jodi Picoult's website that I think completely encompasses the story well:
         "Leaving Time explores the mother-daughter relationship, be it elephant or human, and the idea that those we can't forget are never truly gone."

This book really resonated with me.  As a lover of animals, it frustrated me to read about the treatment of elephants in certain arenas.  As a mother, it really made me think about the relationship I have with my daughter and what I hope that it grows into as she grows older.  I really think she hit the jackpot on this one and I hope that everyone gets a chance to read this one soon.  I will be back to the grind and next week I will update you all on my progress in reading!

Old habits die hard

Hello fellow readers!  I am going to make a confession this week.  Ever since I was younger, I have read Nora Roberts books.  I know, they are kinda cheesy romance novels, but for some reason I am constantly drawn towards them.  My grandmother is the person who originally turned me on to her as an author because she used to have many of her novels that I would gaze at while spending the night at her house.  She let me borrow them (which turned in to keep when she passed away) and I read them all and continue to read new ones as they come out.  Right now, I am currently in the middle of the first book of her newest series, The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy.

The first book starts out by introducing a family in Ireland where the matriarch is a witch.  She is teaching her three children the art of her craft and each of them have an animal that they are connected with for protection.  They are being threatened by a dark witch who wants to be with the woman and he kills off her husband.  The books tell the tale of the modern day cousins who step into the roles of the children.  Each cousin has an animal like the children, a horse, a bird, and a dog.  The trilogy seems to be full of magic and love.  It is progressing well.  I am still in the middle of the first book, but my family got me the second and third ones for Christmas so I have some reading to do.

I haven't been able to finish this book because I took a break to read a book that finally came off my hold list at the library and I was only able to keep it for a week (more on that next post).  I will be continuing to read the series now that I have returned the library book and I will update in a new post how the series turned out.

Nora Roberts' books are great if you like a good love story with some twists and turns.  I like reading her trilogies as well because they tie the stories in well and you get to see the development of some of the relationships that you otherwise wouldn't if it was single book.  Anyone else out there love her storytelling abilities?  If you have any books or trilogies by her that you love, please share them with us in the comments.  I would love to hear about some that I may not have read yet!

New year, new blog

Hello fellow readers!  I want to say Happy New Year!!  I know it has been a year since my last blog post so I wanted to jump back on here and start again.  Now that I am completely done with my Master's degree and we are finally settled in our new home, I feel like I can accomplish more blog posts with more regularity.  I have decided to make some resolutions this year that I hope I can keep (for once!).  The first resolution that I made was to read more with my daughter.  I already read to her a lot because she would rather have books than toys, but I am resolving to diversify her reading options and just read to her more.

The second resolution I am making is for myself.  As you know, I already read a lot.  I want to read more this year and be more vigilant in making different choices in my reading.  I also resolve to make a blog post every week to catch my wonderful readers up on the amazing literature I am enjoying (or maybe not so much).

So what does this all mean for you?  Well, I am planning on scheduling time in my life to regularly update my blog, even if I haven't done very much reading.  I also thought it would be fun to do one of those reading challenges.  I found one on Pinterest that I liked but it was way too long (you can see the original here).  I decided instead to take 20, because that seemed like a reasonable number, of the ideas and try and complete those this year.  So along with updating everyone with what I am reading, I will update my reading challenge as well.  Feel free to join me in the reading challenge and comment with how it's going for you!  I know that many books are going to fit in one or more of the categories so I am going to make sure to choose the only one category for each book so that I can increase my reading.  I am going to link the challenge that I created at the end of this post.  I am also going to be linking an Excel spreadsheet that I will be updating throughout the next few months of all the books I have read.  If there is something on the list that I haven't talked about before or you want to learn more about, please comment and I will try to write a blog post about that inquiry.

Well, I hope that this new year has started off well for my fellow readers!  I have already read some wonderful books and I am striving to read more!  I hope you plan to stay with me to see what this year has in store for our reading adventures!

Link to my reading challenge: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-lT49OCxGQX0dmKkZPM-eZC9Zz-hw6zVk3mmKrE61Rw/edit?usp=docslist_api

Link to my reading spreadsheet: https://www.dropbox.com/s/gwg2nfab7bdkxqv/BookList.xlsx?dl=0 (This is a link to the excel spreadsheet in my dropbox.  This will be updated as I get time so keep checking it to see what I have added)

Disney love

Hello again!  OK, so I have a confession to make... I am in love with Disney!  I know, I know... I am an adult and I shouldn't have this kind of love for it, but I do!  The hubby bought me an annual pass to Disneyland this year because I love it so much.  One of the many joys is getting to share that love with my wonderful daughter.  The look on her face when meeting the characters is priceless.  OK, so what does this mean for my recent reading adventures?  Well, since I've been on such a Disney kick lately, I decided to read Disney themed books.

The first one I want to share is called The Deadliest Cast Member by Kelly Ryan Johns.  This is an adventure story about a terror threat in Disneyland that Jack Duncan must get rid of.  It details secret tunnels and a history of Disneyland, including Walt Disney, that every Disney fanatic would love.  This book is available as an ebook on Kindle and iTunes.  I loved it so much that I read the whole book in one day.  It gives a new insider perspective about Disneyland and it really opens your eyes to new details as you walk around the park.  I loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good action story and especially if you love Disney.



The other Disney themed novel I have been reading is the Kingdom Keepers series.  The image to the left is the first book.  There is currently six books in the series with a seventh that will be released soon.  This series is excellent.  The kids are DHI's, Disney Hosts, that they created as holograms that are able to guide guests through the Magic Kingdom.  Even though this book is set in Disney World, the story is still great.  The kids have to stop the Overtakers from taking over the park and the first book immerses the reader in the park through the adventures of the kids.  There are a lot of twists and turns and the storyline really makes you want to keep reading to see what happens.  I am currently in the middle of the second book in the series so I will keep you all updated on how it turns out.


Well, I hope you have enjoyed my Disney themed post as much as I have writing it.  I have just returned back to school so I am going to be getting busier and busier with writing this thesis.  I will try to keep this updated as much as possible.  Happy reading!