Geo Librarian

THE CADET OF TILDOR by Alex Lidell Dial Books, 2013 ISBN: YA Fantasy Grades 7 and up ARC provided by author as part of blog tour. All opinions expressed are solely my own. Tour organized by: AToMR Tours ABOUT THE BOOK Tamora Pierce meets George R. R. Martin in this smart, political, medieval fantasy-thriller. There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is ...

AWAKEN by Kristen Day Daughters of the Sea, #2 ISBN: 9780615708058 YA Fantasy Grades 9 and up   ABOUT THE BOOK The sacrifices we make have the power to shift the very fabric of who we are, and ultimately who we are meant to be… After learning of her true destiny as the intended Leader of the Tydes, Anastasia Whitman must now embark on a perilous quest to the Underworld before the age of eighteen in order to plant the seed of immortality and complete her essence to become a true Sea Goddess. But before she can make her legendary journey, an unexpected new student transfers to Lorelei; initiating a sequence of events that will unravel Stasia’s new life, and test the boundaries of her relationship with the mysterious, dark, and sexy Finn Morrison. The line between the Underworld and the Living begins to blur as gruesome ghosts, morbid reveries, and pure evil haunt her waking hours as well as her sanity. Once the details of Finn’s own startling destiny a...

GRAVEDIGGERS: Mountain of Bones by Christopher Krovatin Katherine Tegan Books, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-06-207740-0 Middle Grade Horror Grades 4-8 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK Ian was the one who chased the majestic buck into the forest. Kendra and PJ followed him. They all hoped to return to the hiking trail before anyone noticed they were gone. However, the mountain had other plans for them: dark, sinister plans that only nightmares are made of. The Goonies meets The Evil Dead in this series about three kids who become separated from their backpacking group in the Montana wilderness and discover they are stranded in the heart of zombie country. Ian was the one who chased the majestic buck into the forest. (His motto: Act first, think later.) Kendra didn't want to become separated from the other sixth graders, but she followed Ian anyway, despite what her analytical mind told her. PJ followed him, too. Even though he was scared, he figured he might catc...

TEXTING THROUGH TIME: JOHN TAYLOR AND THE MYSTERY PUZZLE by Christy Monson Bonneville Books, 2012 ISBN13: 9781462110841 LDS Middle Grade Fiction Grades 3-6 E-book provided by publisher for blog tour. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Micah and Alicia are excited to meet John Taylor as a child in England. But when their phone won't let them return to their own time, the'll follow the prophet around the world, learning some important lessons along the way. Humorous, entertaining, and informative, this book is a wonderful introduction to church history that's bound to be a family favorite! ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from author's website ) My grandmother lived with us when I was young. She loved to read me stories. I would curl up in her lap or sit on the bed next to her and listen to the tales spin out before me. We cried together over Lassie Come Home and loved Madeline and her adventures. That was a magical time for me in my life. W...

THE WIDE-AWAKE PRINCESS by E.D. Baker Bloomsbury, 2010 ISBN: 978-1-59990-487-0 MG Fantasy Grades 4-7 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK In this new fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie—blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic—can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake. But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn't possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father's guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and...

STORYBOUND by Marissa Burt Harper, 2012 ISBN: 978-0-06-202052-9 MG Fantasy Grades 4-6 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK In the land of Story, children go to school to learn to be characters: a perfect Hero, a trusty Sidekick, even the most dastardly Villain. They take classes on Outdoor Experiential Questing and Backstory, while adults search for full-time character work in stories written just for them. In our world, twelve-year-old Una Fairchild has always felt invisible. But all that changes when she stumbles upon a mysterious book buried deep in the basement of her school library, opens the cover, and suddenly finds herself transported to the magical land of Story. But Story is not a perfect fairy tale. Una’s new friend Peter warns her about the grave danger she could face if anyone discovers her true identity. The devious Tale Keeper watches her every move. And there are whispers of a deadly secret that seems to revolve around Una herself.... With ...

Welcome to Day 2 of the Fairy Tale Read-a-thon  being sponsored by Debz of Debz Bookshelf . My Read-a-thon Update Day Two Total Books Read: 0 Total Pages Read: 204 Books Read Since Last Update: 0 Pages Read since last update: 114 Total time read: 2 and a half hours How I'm currently feeling: I'm currently reading Storybound by Marissa Burt, I really like it so far.  I'm hoping to get a lot more reading in tomorrow. MINI-CHALLENGE and GIVEAWAY Today I have the privilege of hosting the Mini-Challenge and a giveaway. For my mini-challenge, do the following: Choose your favorite fairy tale (Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, etc.). Find or identify FIVE retellings of that fairy tale. Enter the titles and authors in the Rafflecopter form below.  Once you have done this the rest of the giveaway options will be opened and you can complete the ones you wish to. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL as long as Book Depository ships to you. You mu...

FORSAKEN a Daughters of the Sea novel by Kristen Day ISBN: 9780615672656 YA Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Grades 8 and up Reviewed from e-copy received from author. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Once you’ve been touched by darkness, it never leaves you… Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago. Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her. Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity. Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘distur...

  Welcome to the Grimm Chronicles Book Tour presented by I.O. Book Tours. THE GRIMM CHRONICLES, VOL 1 by Isabella Fontaine, Ken Brosky Brew City Press, 2012 ISBN: 978-1478288633 Grades 7 and up Copy received as part of book tour. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK  200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm unleashed their stories upon the world. Literally. Now the characters of the Grimms' stories walk among us. With every day that passes, they grow more evil. They are the Corrupted, and only a hero can stop them. For 18-year-old Alice Goodenough, that means taking precious time off from her summer vacation. In addition to volunteering at the local library, Alice must stop the Corrupted who are now actively hunting her down. With the help of her magic pen and her trusty rabbit friend, the world has suddenly gotten a lot more complex. The Corrupted are everywhere, and only Alice can see them for what they truly are. This book c...

THE STAR OF ELDON (#3 of the World of Samar series) by M. L. Hamilton Wild Wolf Publishing, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-1907954269 Grades 9 and up Copy received from author for review/blog tour. No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.  The Seven Protectorates have enjoyed years of peace under Tav’s leadership, but a growing worry has surfaced. What about the land beyond Loden’s border? Where once there had been overtures of trade, now there is nothing. Tav decides to send a diplomatic expedition to re-establish contact, but who should go? Adventure runs in the blood of Tash’s children, especially in his head-strong daughter, Shara. Shara wants nothing more than to be part of the expedition to Nevaisser, but her father will never agree. He fears for her safety, but a rash decision on his part takes the choice out of his hands and sets up a chain of events that will have far reaching consequences. Nevaisser is a land teemin...

SIX WEEKS TO YEHIDAH by Melissa Studdard All Things That Matter Press, 2011 ISBN13: 9780984651702 Grades 6 and up E-Copies received from author for review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. "The thing you would notice most was the rain, how the rain fell and fell and never seemed to stop. The sky was constantly swollen with it, then birthing it, swollen, then birthing again, and the hills, like greedy babies, suckled up all that rain. They shone and glistened green as the backs of frogs on bright green lily pads. Annalise was ten then, old enough that she’d begun thinking about grown up things, like picking her own clothes out for school, yet young enough, still, to indulge in fanciful imaginings of enchanted trees and talking hills. Her best friends were the clouds that canopied her village and the verdant hills that hosted her most precious and outrageous dreams." As spunky young Annalise travels from one adventure to another, she learns ancient...