GIVEAWAY Reminder

Hey all!

This is just a reminder to enter the giveway of Patrick Jennings's book GUINEA DOG, SIGNED!!!

enter on this post! It's a great chance to win a copy of a great book!

THE CONTEST ENDS JUNE 1ST SO ENTER SOON!

Thanks and do you really want to miss out on a chance to win THIS BOOK!?

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper.

Summary: Twins, Connor and Grace, never dreamed that there was any truth to the Vampirate shanty their father sang to them before he died, but that was before the two were shipwrecked and separated from each other. For Connor, who is taken aboard a pirate ship, there's the chance to learn to swordfight, but for Grace, aboard a mysterious ship of vampire pirates, the danger is great. What will it take for them to find each other?

Okay, so for the past 10 years or so [though the vampire myth has been going on forever] we've seen every kind of vampire imaginable. Vampires that sparkle in the sunlight, vampires that have powers in their breath and spit, vampires that are purple and the list goes on and on. But no one, except for Somper has ever had the idea of vampire pirates, and I love it! I think that combining two characters of lore into one action-packed adventure on the high seas is utter genius! Somper's writing style was really good, it really made you get inside the character's head. The only flaw and it was a small flaw, mind you, was I felt that it took a while for the book to get going. Somper has brought a new twist to the vampire legend.

4.5/5

Ocean of Blood

Okay, so if you have ever read my blog before, you know I love Darren Shan, he's a great author so I was super exited when this one came out.

Summary:Before Larten Crepsley was a vampire general...

Before he was Darren Shan's master...

Before the War of Scars...

Larten Crepsley was a teenager. And he was sick of the pomp and circumstance of fusty old vampires telling him what to do. Taking off on his own with his blood brother, Wester, Larten takes off into the world to see what his newly blooded vampire status can get him in the human world. Sucking all he can out of humanity, Larten stumbles into a violent, hedonistic lifestyle, where cheats beckon, power corrupts, and enemies are waiting. This is his story.

Okay so like I've said a million times and I'll say it a million more, I love Darren Shan. He's a great author. This book was an absolute masterpiece, from beginning to end. I really love the new characters, especially Malora, who really livens up the book [literally, she's one of the only non-vampire characters]. Shan's writing style is amazing and very vivid. I liked the way the action was described in a very calm way [just a note, this book is very gruesome].A faced paced, gritty, and epic novel, definitely one of Darren Shan's best books!

5/5

In My Mailbox (7)

The Accidental Hero

I bought this book after receiving a email from author, Matt Myklusch, and after reading the Goodreads summary it looked really good!

Summary: All Jack Blank knows is his bleak, dreary life at St. Barnaby’s Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost, an orphanage that sinks further into the swampland of New Jersey with each passing year. His aptitude tests predict that he will spend a long, unhappy career as a toilet brush cleaner. His only chance at escape comes through the comic books donated years ago to the orphanage that he secretly reads in the dark corners of the library. Everything changes one icy gray morning when Jack receives two visitors that alter his life forever. The first is a deadly robot straight out of one of his comic books that tries its best to blow him up. The second is an emissary from a secret country called the Imagine Nation, an astonishing place where all the fantastic and unbelievable things in our world originate - including Jack. Jack soon discovers that he has an amazing ability--one that could make him the savior of the Imagine Nation and the world beyond, or the biggest threat they've ever faced.

This book was amazing... the characters were all had lots of depth, each of them was perfectly depicted. The plot was excellent and you never knew what was going to happen next, just the way I like a book! I think that this book was one of the few books that truly made you care a lot about the hero, something many authors can't pull off. I thought that the description of every moment was it's own small masterpiece. I can't believe that this was Matt Myklusch's first book. I will definitely be reading anything else he writes. This book book was perfect or the closest any book can be to perfect. Possibly the best sci-fi book I've ever read.

5/5

p.s.: I will be doing a interview with Matt Myklusch, soon!

In My Mailbox (6) Video!

Interview with author Tom Angleberger

Hello! I got the pleasure to interview author Tom Angleberger, author of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Horton Halfpott. And without further adieu, here goes the interview.

Benji: How do you get the ideas and inspiration for your book?
Tom Angleberger: Well, the idea from Origami Yoda came one day when I saw a picture of an origami Yoda on the Internet. It was the famous one folded by Fumiaki Kawahata.
Since I am a HUGE Star Wars Fan and a long-time origami folder, I was really interested. But it was too hard for me to fold Kawahata's version.
So I created my own very simple Yoda. It turned out to fit on my finger like a finger puppet.... and the idea for the book was born!

Benji: At what age did you start writing? Drawing?

Tom Angleberger: I can't tell you when I started drawing. I've enjoyed drawing for as long as I can remember, though I have often been frustrated by not being able to make a drawing look the way I want it to.
In the 7th grade I started writing a comic strip about cowboys that ride snails. The next year I started a novel, which I never finished. But since then I've almost always been trying to cook up something.

Benji: Who are some of your favorite authors?
Tom Angleberger: For adventure: Lloyd Alexander, John Christopher, Grace Lin, John Claude Bemis.

For comedy: Helen Cresswell and Daniel Pinkwater.
You should be able to find books by most of these authors at your library. (Maybe not Helen Cresswell.)

Benji: Can you tell us anything about your new book, the sequel to Origami Yoda, Darth Paper Strikes Back?

Tom Angleberger: I'll tell you a secret that is still Top Secret.... Origami Princess Leia will be in the book!!!! (Sort of).
Also, I have to warn you that this story is going to be rough! Harvey has brought Darth Paper to school and has caused serious trouble. Not all of it is funny, either.
The book begins: "It is a dark time at McQuarrie Middle School..."

Benji: Do you have any advice for kids who want to become writers or artists?

Tom Angelberger: Give it a try! It's a great job! But it's a bit tough to make a living at it, so be prepared to take other jobs. I worked as a reporter for many years before selling my first book.

Benji: At what age did you become a Star Wars fan?

Tom Angleberger: Six. That was when the movie first came out. When the toys came out, my first one was C3P0. I still have him and many more.

Benji: Anything Else you would like to tell us about your books, your life or in general?

Tom Anglerberger: Well, I'd love to mention my latest book, Horton Halfpott, which is a wacky mystery set in huge castle. It's got action, thrills, chills, spills, pickles and Shipless Pirates!*
*And a bit of underwear.

Benji: Thank you, Tom! Tom is a great writer, visit his website at www.origamiyoda.wordpress.com