Tag: book lists

Posted in Discussion, Updates

Disability Creative Block

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

Hey y’all I’m back. Sorry for the long break in posts. I’ve been working on disability. Getting disability in the US is a prolonged effort where you have to appeal many times and appear before a judge. I’ve appealed several times and am now on the state where I appeal before a judge. Let me tell you I’ve been studying the possible questions that could be asked for several weeks, practicing, and I was still very nervous. So as the date of the hearing came closer I just looked at posting here and I froze I was totally creatively blocked due to my disability hearing. Everything just came down to focusing on the hearing but thankfully I got past my hearing, I won’t know my results for a few weeks. But I’m just so glad it’s over and I can get back to focusing on the thing I like without the mind crushing stress I’ve been dealing with these past few week.

I haven’t been doing nothing though, I’ve managed to get a little reading done despite the stress. Most of these are for magical readathon.

Ghost Girl by [Ally Malinenko]

Summary

Zee Puckett loves ghost stories. She just never expected to be living one.

It all starts with a dark and stormy night. When the skies clear, everything is different. People are missing. There’s a creepy new principal who seems to know everyone’s darkest dreams. And Zee is seeing frightening things: large, scary dogs that talk and maybe even . . . a ghost.

When she tells her classmates, only her best friend Elijah believes her. Worse, mean girl Nellie gives Zee a cruel nickname: Ghost Girl.

But whatever the storm washed up isn’t going away. Everyone’s most selfish wishes start coming true in creepy ways.

To fight for what’s right, Zee will have to embrace what makes her different and what makes her Ghost Girl. And all three of them—Zee, Elijah, and Nellie—will have to work together if they want to give their ghost story a happy ending.

Amazon: Ghost Girl

Summary

All Ginny Anderson wants from her summer is to sleep in, attend a mystery writing workshop, and spend time with her best friend. But when Ginny’s father―a respected restoration expert in Chicago―surprises the family with a month-long trip to Michigan, everything changes. They aren’t staying in a hotel like most families would. No, they’re staying in a mansion. A twenty-six room, century-old building surrounded by dense forest. Woodmoor Manor.

But unfortunately, the mansion has more problems than a little peeling wallpaper. Locals claim the surrounding woods are inhabited by mutated creatures with glowing eyes. And some say campers routinely disappear in the woods, never to be seen again.

As terrifying as it sounds, Ginny can’t shake the feeling that there’s something darker . . . another story she hasn’t been told. When the creaky floors and shadowy corners of the mansion seem to take on a life of their own, Ginny uncovers the wildest mystery of all: There’s more than one legend roaming Saugatuck, Michigan, and they definitely aren’t after campers.

Amazon: What Lives in The Woods

The Smashed Man of Dread End by [J.W. Ocker]

Summary

Noe Wiley couldn’t be more excited to move. After the slumber party sleepwalking incident of last year, she’s ready to make some new friends.

But Noe didn’t expect the sullen, strange girls who live on her new street. And she certainly didn’t expect the strange warning they give her—to stay out of her basement, no matter what.

Noe’s not going to let these girls boss her around. She’ll go in her own basement whenever she wants.

So she does. And there he is.

And now there’s no going back.

Amazon: The Smashed Man of Dread End

The Brave by [James Bird]

Summary

Collin can’t help himself—he has a unique disability that finds him counting every letter spoken to him. It’s a quirk that makes him a prime target for bullies, and a continual frustration to the adults around him, including his father.

When Collin asked to leave yet another school, his dad decides to send him to live in Minnesota with the mother he’s never met. She is Ojibwe, and lives on a reservation. Collin arrives in Duluth with his loyal dog, Seven, and quickly finds his mom and his new home to be warm, welcoming, and accepting of his condition.

Collin’s quirk is matched by that of his neighbor, Orenda, a girl who lives mostly in her treehouse and believes she is turning into a butterfly. With Orenda’s help, Collin works hard to overcome his challenges. His real test comes when he must step up for his new friend and trust his new family.

Amazon: The Brave

So that’s what I’ve been reading, reviews should be up soon, now that I’m not so worried I can’t even look at the screen. I look forward to having fun with my reading challenges and getting back to things I enjoy.

Posted in Challenges, Discussion, Feature, Monthly Reads, Orillium Readathon

First Day of September Reads

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

So I’m going to update what I’m reading every day since I get a new roll on Bookaplaton every day so today on Bookaplaton I got the prompt of a book with humans so I’m reading Ghost Girl which I bought yesterday because it was just too good not to read ASAP. I’m also reading Fellowship of the Ring for Magical Readathon’s first prompt. In addition to this I’m reading Goddess in the Machine because I just started it and am enjoying it.

The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings by [J.R.R. Tolkien]

Amazon: Fellowship of the Rings

Ghost Girl by [Ally Malinenko]

Amazon: Ghost Girl

Goddess in the Machine by [Lora Beth Johnson]

Amazon: Goddess in the Machine

Posted in Challenges

Path or Pantheon TBR Books

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

I promised you the Path or Pantheon TBR, I had a tough time choosing these books, some were easier than others, I thought I’d remind everyone of the path I chose:

Path of Home

Hestia-Fire on the cover/in the title.

I’d been meaning to read this when I got it as arc. Time however got away from me and, it still looks like a great book though and I happy to have a specific reason to read it. Maybe I’ll finally learn not to request too many books for on Netgalley lol.

The Firebird Song

The Firebird Song by [Arnée Flores]

The Kingdom of Lyrica was once warm and thriving, kept safe by the Firebird, whose feather and song was a blessing of peace and prosperity. But the Firebird disappeared, and Lyrica is now terrorized by the evil Spectress who wields her powers from within a volcano. All that remains is a mysterious message scrawled on the castle wall in the Queen’s own hand: Wind. Woman. Thief.

Young Prewitt has only known time without the Firebird, a life of constant cold, as his village is afraid to tempt the volcano monsters with even the feeblest fire. But he has heard whispers that the kingdom’s princess survived the attack . . . and he is certain that if he can find her, together they can save Lyrica.

Princess Calliope has no memories beyond living on her barge on the underground lake. But as she nears her twelfth birthday, she is certain there is more to life than the walls of a cave. When Prewitt finds her, he realizes that she is the missing princess: the only hope for Lyrica. Determined to decipher the meaning of her mother’s strange message and find the Firebird, Calliope and Prewitt set off on a quest that puts them in more danger than either of them ever anticipated.

Amazon: The Firebird Song

Frigg–featuring family

I’ve been a fan of this series since book one and it has strong family ties so it’s perfect for this prompt. These books have been full of mystery, family and super fun riddles, and though I’m sorry to see the series end I can’t wait to read the conclusion.

Summary

As book three of the Greystone Secrets series opens, the Greystone kids have their mother back from the evil alternate world, and so does their friend Natalie. But no one believes the danger is past.

Then mysterious coins begin falling from unexpected places. They are inscribed with codes that look just like what the Greystones’ father was working on before he died. And with the right touch, those symbols transform into words: PLEASE LISTEN. And FIND US, SEE US, HELP US. . . .

The coins are messengers, telling the Greystones and their allies that their friends in the alternate world are under attack—and that the cruel, mind-controlling forces are now invading the better world, too.

After another spinning, sliding journey across worlds, the Greystone kids must solve mysteries that have haunted them since the beginning: what happened when the Gustanos were kidnapped, what created the alternate world, and how a group of mismatched kids can triumph once and for all against an evil force that seems to have total control.

Amazon: The Greystone: The Messengers

Baset–young female MC

I hadn’t heard of the author of the book, but was going out for a rare visit to a doctor to pick up some books and spotted it and it sounded interesting. Now I’m glad I have a specific opportunity to read it.

The Beast Player by [Nahoko Uehashi, Cathy Hirano]

Summary

Elin’s family has an important responsibility: caring for the fearsome water serpents that form the core of their kingdom’s army. So when some of the creatures mysteriously die, Elin’s mother is sentenced to death as punishment. With her last breath, she manages to send her daughter to safety.

Alone and far from home, Elin soon discovers that she can communicate with both the terrifying water serpents and the majestic flying beasts that guard her queen. This skill gives her great power, but it also involves her in deadly plots that could cost her life. Can she save herself and prevent her beloved beasts from being used as tools of war? Or is there no escaping the terrible battles to come?

Amazon: Beast Player

Kojin–featuring food/cooking

The sister book to Midsummer’s Mayhem. This series of books are Shakespeare-inspired retellings with food, fun, and mystery.

Much Ado About Baseball

Twelve-year-old Trish can solve tough math problems and throw a mean fastball. But because of her mom’s new job, she’s now facing a summer trying to make friends all over again in a new town. That isn’t an easy thing to do, and her mom is too busy to notice how miserable she is.

But at her first baseball practice, Trish realizes one of her teammates is Ben, the sixth-grade math prodigy she beat in the spring Math Puzzler Championships. Everyone around them seems to think that with their math talent and love of baseball, it’s only logical that Trish and Ben become friends, but Ben makes it clear he still hasn’t gotten over that loss and can’t stand her. To make matters worse, their team can’t win a single game. But then they meet Rob, an older kid who smacks home runs without breaking a sweat. Rob tells them about his family’s store, which sells unusual snacks that will make them better ballplayers. Trish is dubious, but she’s willing to try almost anything to help the team.

When a mysterious booklet of math puzzles claiming to reveal the “ultimate answer” arrives in her mailbox, Trish and Ben start to get closer and solve the puzzles together. Ben starts getting hits, and their team becomes unstoppable. Trish is happy to keep riding the wave of good luck . . . until they get to a puzzle they can’t solve, with tragic consequences. Can they find the answer to this ultimate puzzle, or will they strike out when it counts the most?

Amazon: Much Ado About Baseball

Oba–featuring water

I love any of the books Molly Knox Ostertag puts out so it was no surprise this one was on my list. It looks beautiful so I’m ready for beauty as well as great content.

The Girl From the Sea

Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can’t wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She’s desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends…who don’t understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan’s biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl. Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn’t seem so stifling anymore. But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they’re each trying to hide will find its way to the surface…whether Morgan is ready or not.

Amazon: The Girl From the Sea

So that’s my list for the Path or Pantheon Challenge. Wish me luck with the challenge and if you are taking part share what Path or Pantheon you are joining .

Posted in Uncategorized

Dungeon’s and Dragon’s Book List-Rangers

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

Fighters learn the basics of all combat styles. They must be at home with most weapons and some magic. They must also be adept with using shields and every form of armor. Beyond that some fighters specialize in a specific style of combat. Not all soliders are fighters something draws them to the lifestyle of being a fighter. For this post I’m going to showcase traditional fighters as well as characters who are protective of their friends in tough situations.

Tami from the The Flower of the Witch

The Flower of the Witch by [Enrico Orlandi, Jamie Richards]

Tami has traveled long and far from his home in the south, forbidden to return until he has become a man, in this coming-of-age story.

Defeating monsters and saving princesses has not been enough, and now he must find the fabled flower of the witch, but in his quest Tami inadvertently sparks a feud between the villagers who shelter him and the demon Yabra! And when the conflict comes to a head, Tami will have to choose between proving himself as a man, and protecting the villagers he’s come to love.

Available for the first time in English, Enrico Orlandi’s exciting tale of adventure and compassion is a timely reflection on identity, responsibility, and the true meaning of maturity.

Amazon;The Flower of the Witch

Talin

Talin is a Striker, a member of an elite fighting force that stands as the last defense for the only free nation in the world: Mara.

A refugee, Talin knows firsthand the horrors of the Federation, a world-dominating war machine responsible for destroying nation after nation with its terrifying army of mutant beasts known only as Ghosts.

But when a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front to Mara’s capital, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. Is he a spy from the Federation? What secrets is he hiding?

Only one thing is clear: Talin is ready to fight to the death alongside her fellow Strikers for the only homeland she has left . . . with or without the boy who might just be the weapon to save—or destroy—them all.

Amazon: Skyhunter

Erik and Hesekiel

Though Aedhan also plays a role in protecting the village it’s really Erik and Heskiel who fit the trope, going from town to town finding strange things and investiaging mysteries.

Photo by Lukasz Szmigiel on Unsplash

Posted in monthly goals, Weekly Wrap-ups

Weekly Wrapup

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

This post is covering two weeks because honestly the first week was super busy and tiring. The second week was too but I had a bit more energy for blogging.

Read

Greystone Secrets #2: The Deceivers

Greystone Secrets #2: The Deceivers by [Margaret Peterson Haddix]

Amazon: The Greystone Secrets 2: The Deceivers

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family

Amazon: The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family

The Darkdeep

The Darkdeep by [Ally Condie, Brendan Reichs]

Amazon: The Darkdeep

The Midwinter Witch

The Midwinter Witch by [Molly Knox Ostertag]

Amazon: The Midwinter Witch

The Beast 

The Beast (The Darkdeep) by [Brendan Reichs, Ally Condie]

Amazon: The Beast

I hit a record for reading this month. I read 9 books. I’m going to try for 10 next month, we’ll see what happens but I seem to be back in the swing of reading.

Blogging

I’ve been trying to get ahead on doing reviews for June. I’m now mostly done with June’s posts and happy for it, that way I can focus more on tags and socializing. Because like I’ll note in my May Wrapup, my numbers weren’t great for this month and I think engagement is one of the reasons.

Cooking

The one activity I’ve been enjoying in quarantine is cooking I’m hoping to make either some kind of bread or an apple pie today.

How have the last few weeks been for you? What are you looking forward to in June?

Posted in Reviews

Review: Immunity

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

Immunity (Contagion)

TW: Torture

Summary

Thea, Coen and Nova thought they were out of all the danger when they escaped the tidally locked planet Achlys. After all they managed to survive a planet overrun with a virus that got the rest of their crew. But now where they should be safe they find themselves imprisoned on the UPC Paramount.

A rebel group called the Radicals who want freedom from the larger political Union plans to use Thea and Coen as weapons to make supersoldiers. They don’t care they are putting the entire galaxy at risk to do it.

Meanwhile, as Nova wakes up from a coma that was caused by the Radicals a new ally Amber begins to shift to their side, but soon tough choices will have to be made.

Thea, Coen, and Nova don’t know it yet, but there are also larger forces at work, forces that will do anything to make sure Thea is safe, but will it be enough to stop the Radicals?

To stop the Radicals they will have to use the only weapons they have left: themselves.

Review

This book didn’t suffer from second book syndrome it kept the action going very well. The political stuff was mentioned in the first book, but I wish it was emphasized more since it plays SUCH a big role in the second book. Then again that could just be me thinking the political stuff wasn’t that interesting in the first book and kind of glossing over it.

Thea and Coen’s bond remains the heart of the book. Normally I don’t like romance, but they aren’t super cutesy about it. There is also another romance in the book but I won’t reveal what it is, I expected it but it was still sweet.

I will say that Bowman had me so emotionally invested in these characters by the end that I wanted them to get their happy ending as to whether or not they did, well you’ll have to read to find out.

Five Favorite Things

  1. Amber
  2. The Programmer
  3. The ending of the book
  4. Thea’s Choice
  5. Thea’s reunion

Amazon: Immunity

Posted in Pokemon Reads

Pokemon Reads Tag-Normal Type

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

I’m going to do this one a little bit differently. I’m going to do books where things seem normal but are really out of the ordinary. They may be magical, they may be a world hidden in plain sight, or they may be a person trying desperately to keep up a disguise. It’s been a fun ride guys so here is the final Pokemon Reads.

Lumberjanes Vol. 1

At Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types isn’t like your normal summer camp. And that’s okay! For best pals Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley, they aren’t exactly normal campers. They are Lumberjane scouts as comfortable fighting a yeti as making a friendship bracelet.

This group isn’t going to let anything get in their way of having a fun summer not three-eyed wolves, giant falcons, any insane quest or arrays of supernatural critters

Lumberjane scouts have some of the best badges in history, so while they may not be normal, they may be better. Instead focusing on friendship before everything and things like talking out conflicts, theses are the scouts for today.

It is the second title launching in BOOM comics’ new BOOM! Box imprint. It’s a touch of punk rock, a touch of girl scouts, and a whole lot of awesome.

I read most of these in 2018 and I plan to do some backlog reviews on each of the Volumes soon.

The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Skitty

Skitty

The link between the Pokemon and the book is there because of something that happens a little bit later in the series.

Amazon: Lumberjanes Vol 1

The Unwanteds

Alex Stowe thinks that normal is a world where his creativity is shunned. So shunned, in fact, it’s deadly. He’s about to turn thirteen and. Every year in Quill thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.

There isn’t a question which category Alex will be in, meanwhile, his brother Aaron is a Wanted, bound for the University, but instead of being sent to his death, the so-called “death farm” turns out to be a mirage hiding a magical world called Artime.

It is a place where the artistic Unwanteds can explore their creative abilities and use them magically. Alex is a visual artist and thrives there, learning a new kind of normal he never thought possible.

But twins aren’t often separated, and Alex and Aaron’s bond will be put to the test as Quill and Artime face off in a magical battle over what normal should be.

I also read this series in 2018 and hope to get the backlog reviews up at some point.

The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Eevee

Eevee

This Pokemon reminds me of this book because while it looks normal on the surface it can transform into all sorts of magical things.

Amazon: The Unwanteds

Finding Perfect

Sometimes trying to find your own normal can be an adventure all it’s own. Molly Nathan’s is a middle schooler with OCD. She doesn’t want anyone to know about it though. Even though her world is spiraling out of control and she’s lost all sense of normal.

Her mother has left the country for a job. Molly finds peace in her rituals, they keep everything safe and normal. There are things to her that are perfect:

―The number four
―The tip of a newly sharpened No. 2 pencil
―A crisp white pad of paper
―Her neatly aligned glass animal figurines

But soon Molly’s rituals start to take over, things that used to be enough to calm her anxiety about something bad happening to her brother simply don’t work anymore. She finds her rituals encroaching on friends and school, and soon her slam poetry.

Molly knows there is something wrong with her, but doesn’t know what. But she’s starting to worry her friends and family will notice her rituals and figure out her secret, she’s crazy.

With the help of her friends and family, Molly may be able to find her own sense of normal with OCD.

You can also find my review for Finding Perfect here: Finding Perfect Review

The Pokemon that reminds me of this book is: Ditto

Ditto

This book reminds me of this Pokemon because it’s the transform Pokemon and Molly tries to change herself to act normal throughout the book.

Amazon: Finding Perfect

That’s it guys, thank for joining me for Pokemon Reads! I’ll be doing a project specifically about Eevee sometime in May or early June.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Pokemon Reads, Recommendations

Pokemon Reads Tag Electric Type

Posted on by Plaid_Reader

You’d think it’d be easy to find books about electric powers and if I was focusing on YA I’m sure it would be. But here I’m focusing on books that I thought had a spark of something special, if there is an electricity pun, well, I’m all the more pleased. 😛

Each Tiny Spark

Synopsis

Emila Torres has trouble focusing, sometimes she doesn’t follow along in school or forgets what her mother or abuela asks her to do. However, what she can focus on is a time before her father’s deployment when her family was whole and made sense. She expects that life will go back to normal when her father comes home, but he comes home different, instead of spending time with his family he isolates himself and spends time working on cars instead.

Emila though keeps an eye on him and slowly they reconnect as he teaches her how to weld, soon she can see her old dad start to shine through, but as she is making progress with her dad, something happens that shakes her community, leaving her friends at the center of the conflict.

This book had just the right mix of dealing with serious things like mental health and PTSD, and reconnecting with family.

 

The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Rotom

Rotom

This playful Pokemon likes to get in different types of machines and I can just imagine it in Emila’s welding machine.

Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl

Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl by [Lubner, Susan]

Synopsis

Lizzy and The Good Luck Girl was a lot of things, but first of all, it was cute, it had cats and friendship and luck and it was just a sweet read. 

Twelve-year-old Lizzy Sherman lives in the small town of East Thumb, Maine, upstairs from her family’s diner. She tries to keep her eye out for signs, things that will warn her of good or bad luck so she can have a problem-free existence.

She pays attention to everything from clouds in the sky to juice on the floor spilled in the shape of a heart. If she can figure out what theses signs mean, she’ll know what to do next and know how to keep herself and her family safe.

When Lizzy and her best friend Joss go search for a stray cat, they find a runaway girl instead. When Lizzy notices a tiny four-leaf clover tattooed on the girl’s hand, she knows it’s a sign.

She dreams up a plan to hide the girl in her bedroom closet convinced that the girl will be able to protect her family from tragedy. But signs aren’t always what they seem and the girl may have something more valuable to offer than luck. 

This book had just the right mix of luck, love and found family.

You can find my review of Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl here : Review: Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl

Amazon: Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl

The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Tapu Koko

Tapu Koko

Just like Lizzy thinks the mysterious girl is going to bring luck to her. Tapu Koko is supposed to be lucky when seen.

The Science of Breakable Things

Science of Breakable Things Wednesday

Synopsis

Natalie’s mother is suffering from depression, and Natalie is suffering too because she doesn’t know how to fix her mom. She has ideas as to why all of this has happened. Her mom is (was) a botanist and got fired, sending her into her depressive state.

Natalie is angry at her dad for trying to pretend everything is okay, and even though she doesn’t want to admit it, she’s angry at her mom, because she feels like she wasn’t good enough, and that if her mom loved her she wouldn’t be depressed.

All this is set against the backdrop of Natalie’s seventh-grade science class. Natalie’s science teacher wants them to find a research question. When Natalie struggles he suggests that she enter an egg drop competition. Natalie is reluctant at first but realizes there is prize money attached and that this might be the solution to fix her mom.

Her mom’s botany work focused on miraculous Cobalt Blue Orchids-–flowers that survive against impossible odds. The one they had at their house has died and Natalie is sure seeing the flowers will inspire her mom to want to be an active part of life again.

Natalie’s friend Twig is the first to sign onto the team, soon called Operation Egg, along with a new boy from India named Dari. With their help Natalie might just have a chance of winning the contest and helping her mom, but what happens when things fall apart like broken eggs?

Having friends around to pick up the piece help Natalie learns that talking about things can start her on a journey of healing and that with help. Her family might never put the pieces back the same way, but that they might slowly but surely begin to heal with or without the Cobalt Blue Orchid.

The book had that special spark of hope and Natalie’s found family is unforgettable.

You can find my review of  The Science of Breakable Things here: Review: The Science of Breakable Things

Amazon: The Science of Breakable Things

The Pokemon this book reminds me of is: Minun

Minun

This reminds me of Natalie because even though she is angry she is still trying to cheer up her mom and Minum is the cheering Pokemon.

Come back and join us for the final Pokemon Reads post!

Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels