I know that this isn't usually the day for an IMM post (a feature hosted by The Story Siren of course) but there are a few books I've gotten recently that I am so through the roof excited about that I just have to talk about them now.
Charlie and his three friends must unravel the mysteries of their new found abilities, save the father Charlie has never known, and uncover a secret that will change their lives forever.
The first is a signed copy of The Quest for Merlin's Map by W.C. Peever that I won from Book Noise. This is a middle grade/YA fantasy that is the first in a series called The Jumper Chronicles. Why am I so incredibly excited about this? Well, my son has always been completely uninterested in books. I buy them for him and put them on his bookshelf where they sit unopened, when he gets grounded, the ONLY thing he's allowed to do is read and he still usually chooses to sit in his room and pout, never using the opportunity to read. So, being the book fanatic that I am, this always really bothered me that my son did not also share my love of reading.
Well, I entered the giveaway and won, and since this was a personalized copy, I had the author sign it to my son Damian. The day I received it and gave it to Damian, he kind of rolled his eyes at yet ANOTHER attempt to get him to read something, but then when he saw that the author had wrote him a little message inside, he was SO excited! He carried the book around with him all day, showing everyone, calling his grandmother in Pennsylvania to tell her about this "cool" book he got that was signed just for him by a "real author" But then, miracle of all miracles, while I was working, my sister-in-law says that he was READING this book, asking her to help him pronounce some words and tell him what they mean. Oh, you have no idea how much this thrilled me! So, we decided that we would read this book together, one chapter a day, me, Damian, and Daddy.
Life in a small town can be pretty boring when everyone avoids you like the plague. But after their father unwittingly sends them to stay with an aunt who’s away on holiday, the Hardscrabble children take off on an adventure that begins in the seedy streets of London and ends in a peculiar sea village where legend has it a monstrous creature lives who is half boy and half animal. . . .In this wickedly dark, unusual, and compelling novel, Ellen Potter masterfully tells the tale of one deliciously strange family and a secret that changes everything.
Now after the overwhelming response that signed book got from my son, I started thinking, I wonder if any middle grade authors would allow me to purchase a signed book from them, there was one I had had my eye on "The Kneebone Boy" by Ellen Potter. So I emailed Ellen and asked her, explaining my reasons why, and Ellen was kind enough to not only send a signed copy to Damian, but she ALSO sent it at no charge, personalized to Damian, saying "May your life be full of big adventures" AND adding an extra little notecard with a note to Damian from her personally. How wonderful is this! This book is currently wrapped and under the Christmas tree and I can't wait to see his eyes light up again when he sees yet another "cool" book signed by a "real author"
Ok, so I know I am probably not going to be able to get EVERY book personalized and autographed for him, but if I can use this as a way to open the door to reading for fun for him then thats all it will take. I'm counting on the fact that he is, after all, my child. Once he sees what wonderful adventures these books can take him on, I'm fairly certain he'll start reading without that incentive.
Now apart from being excited to read these two amazing books with my son, I'm actually pretty excited about reading them for myself as well. I mean, did you read the synopsis? They sound absolutely brilliant! I'll be posting my reviews as soon as we finish them.
Between the living and the dead is the Order of the Deacons, protectors of the Empire, guardians against possession, sentinels enlisted to ward off the malevolent haunting of the geists... Among the most powerful of the Order is Sorcha, now thrust into partnership with the novice Deacon, Merrick Chambers. They have been dispatched to the isolated village of Ulrich to aide the Priory with a surge of violent geist activity. With them is Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne that Sorcha is sworn to protect, and bearer of a terrible curse. But what greets them in the strange settlement is something far more predatory and more horrifying than any mere haunting. And as she uncovers a tradition of twisted rituals passed down through the dark reaches of history, Sorcha will be forced to reconsider everything she thinks she knows.
I received my much anticipated copy of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare from the Gratitude Giveaway at Musings of a Reader Happy. This is a series I've been wanting to start for quite some time, I've heard so many wonderful things about the entire series. And this is yet another amazing cover.
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....
This holiday season, I have more than enough to keep me happily occupied with my nose in a book! And I'm so looking forward to sharing that same reading joy with my son. If these books grab him the way I'm thinking they will, then I think I'm going to start another blog for me and him to review middle-grade fantasy together. That would be so much fun! If you have any suggestions on some great middle grade fantasy reads that any boy would love, please let me know!!
