Book Review: A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying by Kelley Armstrong

I was hoping to get this review up several weeks ago, but unfortunately, due to a lack of Internet and just an incredibly busy schedule it just didn't get done.  I have now started a new permanent position at my work with more hours, but no set schedule, so it will be more difficult to get these done.  Anyway...
I really enjoyed this book!  It was so well written and engaging I couldn't put it down.  The characters are very fleshed out and they have real motivations for doing things, rather than because the plot requires them to do so.
The plot is so well written that it will keep you on the edge of your seat.  I really liked that there was a good mix of action and regular life, if you will.  I'm already looking forward to the next book (although there is no hint of a date)!
This is a tween book.  It is a bit old for children around 10 (depending on maturity level, etc).  I certainly wouldn't read it to my 5 year old niece!

Suggested Reads
I couldn't think of any off the top of my head that I haven't suggested already, so I turned to Novelist for some assistance!
Here are the 9 titles that Novelist suggested with spunky female leads:

               

               

A "Serie"ous Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

      

    

This review covers the main series as I have not read any of the prequel materials.  Normally, I would review each of the individual books, then the series as a whole.  In this case, to prevent spoilers, I will be reviewing the entire series.  When Celaena is rescued from the slave mines in order to take part of a competition, by the crown prince Dorian, she is thankful.  All of her opponents are men - thieves, assassins, brutes.  However, something dark is lurking in the castle and killing off the fighters one by one.  She must kill in order to survive, while also avoiding what is killing her competitors.  In the final fight of the competition, it brands her and sets her on the path to her destiny.   

I loved this series!  I would finish one, then try to get the next one as quickly as possibly.  They are very fast paced and difficult to put down.  I spent more than a few nights staying up on my Kobo reading in the dark, much to the frustration of my husband.  The author is a master of the cliffhanger, so you just HAVE to read the next book in order to see what happens next.  Celaena is a very independent woman who knows what she wants and she'll do what she must in order to get it.  On the path to her destiny, she makes a number of unusual friends and allies who will assist her in the ultimate and final confrontation.  LGBTQ+ friendly.

Similar Books:
Graceling Realm Series by Kristin Cashore

    

The main character from Graceling reminds me of Celaena.

The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielson

    

Although the main character is male, the cutthroat competition is very similar to Throne of Glass.

Rule Series by Ellen Goodlett

 

The politics of the kingdom remind me of the politics that occur in the Throne of Glass series.  Bonus points for LGBTQ+ normalization of relationships.

Tech Tips and Tricks: Android Collections

I have a migraine today, so I decided to do a super quick post today rather than a review with which I really want to take my time.

On my phone, Google gives me an option to save pages in a different section than bookmarks called Collections.  I was hoping to integrate all of these pages into my regular bookmarks, especially the recipes.  I was having a devil of a time figuring out how to do this until I stumbled across the fact that Collections used to be called Saved Pages.  The way to get to all of these pages, which I have sorted into different categories, is to go to the old Saved Pages website.  Although you can share these collections with different people, there doesn't seem to be a way to export all of the links so that it can be integrated with your current bookmarks.  Looks like I'll have to do it the old fashioned way where I open all the pages and add them to my bookmarks.  Don't forget to export your bookmarks when you're done otherwise you could lose all your hard work!

A "Serie"-ous Review: Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

Tortall:  The Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

A coworker at the library suggested this book for my Adult Summer Reading Club Bingo.  She said she didn't like Harry Potter because she read this series first.  To me, this is still fantasy, but it is a different sort of fantasy than Harry Potter.  I would put this more in a "classic" fantasy where it is set in a completely different world.

I'd review each book individually, but this is better off reviewed as a whole.  The basic plot is that Alanna is far better suited to be a knight than her twin brother Thom, who wants to be a sorcerer.  Alanna and Thom switch spots with Thom being trained in magic and Alanna being trained as Alan of Trebond as a knight.

The series follows Alanna as she learns to control her magic and use it for good.  She must learn who to trust, including herself, as she goes on many wild adventures and grows from Alan of Trebond into Alanna, the Lioness Rampant.  She faces and defeats many foes until she is ready for the penultimate confrontation.

She is a strong, confidant girl who grows into an amazing woman.  Although she hides and denies her femininity at first as part of her disguise, she learns to embrace it.  Her growth in this area reminds me of this part from Avatar:  The Last Airbender:  

I would definitely suggest this to older teens and adults as there is some sensitive topics (puberty, birth control, implied sex) who are more emotionally capable to handle these implications.

Similar Series (Strong Independent Woman Protagonist)

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (Ages 8+)

Princess Pulverizer by Nancy E. Krulik (Ages 5+)

The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale (Ages 5+)

The Belgariad by David Eddings (Ages 13+)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Ages 18+)

Wonder Woman (All Ages)

Book Review: Every Tool's A Hammer by Adam Savage

Oh wow!  This was so amazing!  As a cosplayer, I found this book so inspirational and helpful.  It was so great that I found that we share some of the same traits.  I will also pause the movie and make screenshots and try to figure out the dimensions from surroundings.  I always thought that made me obsessive and annoying, but apparently this is a great trait to have if you are a cosplayer.  After all, the attention is in the details!

He also talks about his history, how he and Jamie met and how Mythbusters was created.  I really enjoyed his discussion of workshop layout and how it is a very personal thing.  This is also a philosophy book which talks about different maker mindsets and how different opportunities can take you places you didn't expect, but needed to go.

Every maker, no matter what stage, should read this book!

A "Serie"ous Review: The Mapmaker's Trilogy by S.E. Grove

          

The Mapmaker's Trilogy by S.E. Grove

In The Glass Sentence, we travel with Sophia on an adventure where she follows the directions of a mysterious glass map.  She finds and makes new allies along the way including a new companion named Theo.  The politics of the time echo our own.

In The Golden Specific, she sets out on a mission to find her parents after being given a hint to their whereabouts by a mysterious benefactor at the Nihilism archives.  We also meet some interesting new characters and find out more about the different Ages across the globe.

In The Crimson Skew, Sophia and her companions arrive back in North America only to find everything in disarray.  She continues onward to find her parents and along the way gathers the necessary allies as they all head towards their shared destiny.

I honestly picked up the first book on a whim from the library.  I wasn't really reading anything at the time and wanted something interesting.  The cover captured my eye and the description on the back clinched the deal.  Sophia is a strong, independent female character who accepts her companions as they are.  The plots are compelling and, once the world building is out of the way, very fast paced.  You will read the entire trilogy just to see what happens next.  This is a wonderful fantasy series!

Other similar series:

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman


Northern Lights is the adult edition of The Golden Compass.

Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede



Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Book Review: Cosplay Crash Course by Mina Petrović: A Complete Guide to Designing Cosplay Wigs, Makeup and Accessories

Cosplay Crash Course: A Complete Guide to Designing Cosplay Wigs, Makeup and Accessories by Mina Petrović

As an amateur cosplayer myself, it showed me how easy it can be to create all the necessary details to complete an outfit. While I'm not particularly interested in making armour, I really appreciated the instructions to make boot covers. Although I do end up online looking for tips, this book laid out instructions in precise detail and doesn't require an internet connection. I read this on my Kobo and as a result they were black and white. Despite this, the photos were very clear and helpful. I can only imagine that they look much better in colour and on a larger screen! A great reference book for any cosplayer!

#netgalley #cosplaycrashcourse

Book Review: Twilight Empress

This book is 2 years old at this point, so why it is still up on Netgalley is beyond me.  Although I took Classical Studies in my undergrad, my classes covered to Constantine.  I am fascinated by this portrayal of Rome and its rulers from this period.

It is a fascinating novel that takes place in Italy just following the fall of Rome.  When Rome is sacked by the Goths, Galla Placidia, sister to the emperor, is taken as a prisoner of war.  Being used as a political pawn doesn’t sit well with her, so she sets her own destiny and builds a life among the Goths.  When her life takes another unexpected turn, she is named Augusta. She is forced to live a life of politics and intrigue up until the very end.

The pacing in this book is excellent!  I could not put it down. I very much enjoyed the secondary characters and how they were used as foils to reflect the change in her.  It was also a realistic portrayal of her being torn between her duties to the empire and her heart.

#TwilightEmpress #NetGalley

Book Review: The Glass Sentence

The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove

This was an amazing book that was hard to put down! When I did put it down over the Easter weekend, it was with great reluctance. When I started reading it, I couldn't stop until I got to the ending!  I stayed up much too late to find out what happened.
In 1799 the world experienced the Great Disruption in which something happened so that time in the world was fractured and then came together in different times. The year is now 1891, Sophia is the daughter of two explorers who have gone on an adventure, leaving her with her uncle Shadrock. When he is kidnapped, she goes after him with the help of Theo. Together, they have great adventures while searching for him and heading into danger. Will Sophia be able to decipher the map in time or will she doom the entire world?
Read Alikes: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Book Review: Grilled Cheese and Dragons #1

Grilled Cheese and Dragons #1 by Nancy Krulik

This book was amazing! The Princess Serena, or as she prefers to be called, Princess Pulverizer wants to join Knight School. When she begs and pleads her father to allow her to attend, he instead sends her off on a Quest of Kindness in order to gain more knightly attributes. She must perform 8 acts of kindness and have proof of each one. However, her plans go a little awry when she meets some unexpected help.
I read it aloud to my niece and she absolutely adored it. She is 5 and understood the concepts quite well. However, I would say that the reading level is more around 8 or 9. There are also great illustrations and, thankfully for my voice, short chapters.
Read a likes include Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede.

Book Review: One Night of Scandal

One Night of Scandal by Darcy Burke

I really enjoyed this book! When Jack Barrett catches Lady Viola Fairfax attempting to sneak into a gentlemen's club, he escorts her home. Lady Viola is horrified that anyone saw through her disguise as Tavistock and immediately complies. However, fate throws them together when they decide to investigate the rumour that a peer was behind the attempt on the Prince Regent. But when the tables are turned against them by unknown political enemies and she defends him against accusations that he is a radical, she creates a scandal, there is only one solution: marriage. When these accusations put them both in danger, will she realize that some things are more important than her ideals?
I really liked Lady Viola! She's my kind of girl. Although she is headstrong, she recognizes when her actions are futile and when she can fight back. I really enjoyed that she didn't do anything in order to prove Jack wrong or make her point. Jack is a good person and tries to do what is best for Viola even when she resists. He knows when to capitulate to her. I also liked the pacing of the book as I had a really hard time putting it down towards the end. I feel that had I read the previous books in this series, I would have a much better feel for the characters.

#OneNightofScandal #NetGalley

Life Just Suddenly Happened

Hi faithful readers!
I'm so happy to be back to blogging!  It has been a long time since I posted.  The reason is simply that life suddenly got very busy since I got 2 jobs (one is working in a library and I love it!) and had all my volunteering as well.  I also joined the choir at one my volunteering gigs.  Suddenly, I was so busy that although I was reading, I had trouble finding the time to write reviews.  I am still working on managing my time and learning to balance everything, including working on cosplay.  I will be posting more reviews starting next week!

Buy or Borrow: Spyro Reignited Trilogy

I played the PS4 version of this game.  This is a remastered series of games from the original PlayStation.  I very much enjoyed these games as the game play was quite easy and the controls were the same or similar from game to game.  I only had a chance to play the first two games before the week was over and sadly, someone had put it on hold, so I couldn't renew.

In the first game, Spyro the Dragon, you run around rescuing dragons from their crystal prison as well as rescue eggs from thieves and flame or charge enemies.  It is a basic platformer.  You can also acquire a skill point by fulfilling a requirement on some levels.  I don't like the flight levels because it is quite difficult to manage.  So far, there is one on each world.  Not sure how I'm going to get all the gems on these levels.

In the second game, Ripto's Rage, you are transported mid-portal to a whole new world and must help the inhabitants of Avalar by keeping Ripto from completely taking over.  Again, it is a basic platformer.  Instead of rescuing dragons, you must perform certain tasks for the inhabitants in order to get their talismans.  There are skill points though.  So far, it seems that there aren't any flight levels (yay!).

The gameplay is pretty easy and sometimes it takes a while to figure out what you have to do.  I did find myself getting a lot of help from YT at times when it didn't seem particularly obvious exactly what I supposed to do.

The environment and graphics are amazing!  They are very bright and kid friendly.  I would suggest it to anyone who likes platformers (Super Mario Bros) or looking for a fun relaxing game.

Book Review: Earl to the Rescue by Jane Ashford

This was an interesting experience for me as this is actually a reprint of a much older book by the title of Gwendeline.  One of the reasons that I love Jane Ashford is that she writes marvelous characters and while there is chemistry between the characters, there aren't any sex scenes.  It was interesting to see the difference in characters between her older book and her more contemporary ones.  I find Gwen to be something of a widgeon, but at least she fights back when the situation calls for it.  Not my favourite protagonist, but at least she isn't constantly having fits of the vapours and fainting constantly.  My favourite character was the Countess of Merryn.  She is quite literate and has the most interesting discussions in the book.  I think I need to track down some Rousseau and add it to my TBR list!
Due to the irresponsibility of her parents, Gwendeline Gregory is now an orphan and is about to be tossed out on the street.  When Alex Audley, the Earl of Merryn comes and offers to help her out with a house and income put together by a group of her father's friends (the first example of crowdfunding!)  As she is out of choices, she says yes and goes to live with the Earl of Merryn's mother who intends to bring her out in society.  However, Gwen is suspicious of Alex as there is no proof of the secret partners.  When someone in society sets out to ruin her, will the Earl come to the Rescue?
I would suggest this to people who like books that have interesting plotlines and who want a decent love story without sex scenes.

Book Review: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman

The Book of Dust is the sequel series to His Dark Materials.  The title of the first book is La Belle Sauvage, which, if you don't speak French, means "the Beautiful Wild".  This one takes place 10 years before The Golden Compass.  Lyra is an infant and has very little to do with this book.  This story surrounds her and provides a background for those of us who wanted to know more about the background behind the golden compass.
It all begins with a boy named Malcolm who is very good at being invisible.  When he is at the convent and hears that a baby is there, he is very excited as he is an only child and he befriends her.  When he witnesses something happen in his small village, he then accidentally becomes entangled with spies.  As danger creeps ever closer, he does what he can to protect his family, friends and Lyra.
I would suggest this to people who have read His Dark Materials.  This is because this particular book makes a lot more sense if you have read it.  Apparently the rest of the series will take place AFTER His Dark Materials, so you may as well read it now!  I highly suggest reading it while it is warm because Pullman is a master of description and a lot of the book is spent in a wet and cold environment.

Review: The Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The night circus is the venue for two magicians to compete by proxy each choosing a child as a game piece. They grow up learning different methods of magic and then they compete with each other, not knowing the horrible truth of the game until it is nearly too late.

The story is told from multiple points of view over different periods of time we see how the night circus came to be. This book has everything: love, revenge, magic, fantasy (it doesn't have pirates.  If you want pirates as well, read The Princess Bride by William Goldman).

This book was amazing! Once I got into it, I just couldn't put it down! The plot was very fast-paced and switched points of view (P.O.V) pretty much every chapter. However, the switches between P.O.V were so smooth that it didn't bother me at all. It took me a little while to figure out the changes between time, but at the beginning of every chapter (in tiny tiny print) there are the dates.  I referenced them frequently at first to see what was going on, but as I got to the end, I didn't need to reference them anymore because the pace and events picked up as I got closer to the end of the book. It is a circular story as well because the end of the book is the beginning of the book.

It is well worth the read!  People who would enjoy this are people who enjoy historical fantasy set in the real world or steampunk.

Super Conference!

Sorry!  No new blog post this week as I am preparing for the OLA Super Conference.  I can't wait!  3 days of professional development and meeting people.  See you next week!

Buy or Borrow: Harvest Moon: Light of Hope

Given some of the games I've been playing lately, I decided it was time for something a little more lighthearted and I decided that Harvest Moon:  Light of Hope fit the bill.  It is a very relaxing game that is a mashup of Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing.  There is a bit of a plot, but you can take your time with it which is great!

The premise is that you've washed up on an island and have to repair the lighthouse to bring balance to the island and bring back the harvest goddess.  You start off growing some crops and as you upgrade your tools (hoe, axe, watering can, fishing rod and hammer) you use less energy to take on more difficult materials.  You also rebuild houses to encourage people to move back to the island.  One hour in game is equal to one minute in real life and at the beginning when you tire easily because there is so much to do, you will likely be playing for about 8 minutes before sleeping and starting the next day.

I'm really enjoying the pace of this game!  It is so relaxed, a lot of fun and shouldn't take long to finish.  I would definitely borrow this as opposed to buy because it is still relatively new and expensive (at least for the PS4 and Switch)!

Historical Romance Novels Based on Films

Based on the Bourne Identity, this story is about Jacinda who works at the Bourne matrimonial agency.  When she has a suspicion that he Duke of ? is hiding something she goes to investigate his estate.  When she loses her memory in a tragic accident, the Duke finds her on the shore close to his estate and tries to keep her from finding our his secret.  However, the Duke eventually softens toward Jacinda and 

This romance novel is based on Mary Poppins which was originally written as a book by P.L. Travers.  When blah turns up at the Governess agency where she has been promised a job, she is turned away by the owner.  Desperate and afraid, when she hears that the Duke of ? has fired yet another governess, she takes a chance and goes to apply for the job.

This book is based on While You Were Sleeping, which was one of my favourite rom coms in the 90s.  When shop girl Poppy sees the Duke fall and injured, she goes to help him.  When his family will not let her in, she claims to be his fiancee.  However, his half-brother does not believe her because his brother is so uptight that he would never befriend a shop girl, let alone propose marriage.  Convinced she is just another fortune hunter, he tries to keep her away from the Duke, only to fall for her himself.

Based on one of my favourite action movies of all time, True Lies, this husband and wife duo have no idea that they are working for the same spy agency.  But, with the Napoleonic wars over, what will they do now that the agency is downsizing and has them competing for the same job?